Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been granted full access to the US Treasury Department’s payment system, according to reports from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Historically, access to this system has been restricted to a small group of career civil servants due to its sensitivity.

The newly-appointed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent authorized DOGE representatives, including Tom Krause, CEO of Cloud Software Group, to access the system, which manages over $6 trillion annually in federal payments, including Social Security, Medicare benefits, and tax refunds.

David Lebryk, a career official who had been acting as Treasury Secretary until Bessent’s confirmation, retired on Friday after reportedly resisting requests from Musk’s team for access to the payment system. Asked why a career bureaucrat would retire rather than comply with an audit request, Musk wrote on X that Treasury officials “literally never denied a payment in their entire career.”

“The DOGE team discovered, among other things, that payment approval officers at Treasury were instructed always to approve payments, even to known fraudulent or terrorist groups,” Musk said.

The Department of Government Efficiency, established by President Donald Trump and led by Musk, aims to identify and eliminate wasteful government spending. Musk has set a goal of reducing the federal deficit by at least $1 trillion, which would require daily cuts averaging $4 billion.

“That would still result in a ~$1T deficit, but economic growth should be able to match that number, which would mean no inflation in 2026,” Musk wrote, adding that he was “cautiously optimistic” about reaching this target.

DOGE’s access has sparked concerns among former Treasury officials and lawmakers over the security of the federal payment system. Senator Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, warned of potential political interference: “I can think of no good reason why political operators who have demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law would need access to these sensitive, mission-critical systems.”

“Obviously, there will be EXTREME opposition from the grifters!! And they will make it sound like we’re cutting funding to save baby pandas when we’re actually cutting funding to fraudsters, wastrels & terrorists,” Musk said in another post Saturday.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced retaliatory 25% tariffs on American goods, hours after US President Donald Trump imposed sweeping trade restrictions on Canadian imports. 

“Tonight, I am announcing Canada will be responding to the US trade action with 25% trade tariffs against $155 billion worth of American goods,” Trudeau said at a news conference on Saturday.

The first wave of tariffs, covering $30 billion worth of US goods, will take effect on Tuesday, with broader measures following in 21 days to allow Canadian companies to adjust.

“These tariffs will be far-reaching and include everyday items,” the Canadian leader said, listing alcohol, fruits, vegetables, clothing, and shoes. In addition to direct tariffs, Ottawa is exploring “several non-tariff measures,” which could include restrictions on critical minerals, energy procurement, and other trade partnerships. 

“We will stand strong for Canada,” Trudeau said. “We will stand strong to ensure our countries continue to be the best neighbors in the world,” he added, urging citizens to support domestic businesses.

Trump’s 25% tariffs on nearly all Canadian goods were announced earlier on Saturday, with the White House citing concerns over illegal drug trafficking and immigration.

“The extraordinary threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs, including deadly fentanyl, constitutes a national emergency,” a White House fact sheet read. “President Trump is taking bold action to hold Mexico, Canada, and China accountable to their promises of halting illegal immigration and stopping poisonous fentanyl and other drugs from flowing into our country.”

The US president claimed that Canada has played “a central role” in America’s fentanyl crisis and failed to “devote sufficient attention and resources” to combat the flow of illicit drugs.

In an effort to avert the tariffs, Ottawa introduced a $1.3 billion spending plan aimed at strengthening border surveillance and tackling drug trafficking. Trump said on Friday, however, that there is “nothing Canada can do right now” to avoid the new tariffs. 

Economists warn that the escalating trade dispute could lead to rising consumer prices and economic disruptions in both countries.

China will file a lawsuit at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and take other retaliatory measures against US President Donald Trump’s new tariffs on its goods, the Commerce Ministry said in a statement on Sunday. According to the statement, Beijing sees Washington’s unilateral tariff increase as “seriously violating” WTO rules.

Trump announced new tariffs on China, Mexico, and Canada on Saturday, citing concerns over the three countries’ failures in stemming the flow of migrants and illegal drugs, such as fentanyl, into the US. In order to hike the tariffs, Trump declared a national economic emergency, invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which authorizes the president to unilaterally manage imports.

The tariffs, set to enter into effect on February 4, will amount to a 25% tax on all imports from Mexico and most goods from Canada, and a 10% tariff on Chinese goods. According to a fact sheet published by the White House, the tariffs will be in place with no exemptions “until the crisis is alleviated.”

China’s Commerce Ministry said Beijing is “strongly dissatisfied” with Washington’s action and “firmly opposes” it.

“It is not only unhelpful in solving [Washington’s] own problems, but also undermines the normal economic and trade cooperation between China and the US,” the ministry stated, adding that Beijing “will take corresponding countermeasures to firmly safeguard its own rights and interests,” without disclosing details. It added that the US should “objectively and rationally view and deal with its own problems” such as illegal drug imports, instead of “threatening other countries with tariffs.”

The ministry said Beijing will file a formal complaint over the new tariffs with the WTO, which has legal power to permit a country suffering from another country’s tariffs to respond with its own. As both the US and China are WTO members, they are required to abide by its decisions when in dispute.

China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry called the tariffs “not constructive,” warning that this could reignite a trade war.

“China’s position is firm and consistent. Trade and tariff wars have no winners… This move cannot solve the US’s problems at home and more importantly, does not benefit either side, still less the world,” the ministry said in a statement late Saturday. It also warned that the new tariffs will “harm the counternarcotics cooperation between the two sides in the future.”

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Canada and Mexico have already lashed out against Trump’s accusations and tariffs. Hours after the announcement, Canada slapped 25% tariffs on US goods, which will be “far-reaching and include everyday items,” according to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum instructed the Economy Ministry on Saturday to implement “Plan B,” which involves tariff and non-tariff retaliatory measures against Washington. While details have not been disclosed, sources claim that Mexico aims to impose measures on US industries such as agriculture.

A massive fire broke out at a refinery in Martinez, California on Saturday, prompting a shelter-in-place order for surrounding neighborhoods due to concerns about air quality. The order has since been lifted.

The blaze erupted after a hydrocarbon leak triggered an an explosion, local media outlet Mercury News reported. The fire was “burning ferociously,” with an unknown amount of fuel remaining, the news site cited Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Bob Atlas as saying. He added that the smoke would become toxic at some point.

A video shared on social media shows the production facility operated by Martinez Refining Company on fire with plumes of black smoke swirling across neighboring areas.

The company said in a statement that a total of six injuries have been recorded, adding that four people were transported away from the scene, and two were treated on site and released.

Martinez Refining Company reported the fire at 1:47pm local time, stressing that it may affect people with respiratory issues in nearby neighborhoods. The company added that its HAZMAT team is investigating whether there will be community health impacts.

The local health authorities later said that air quality in areas near the refining facility has improved, adding that a Public Health Advisory remained for Martinez, parts of Pacheco, and Clyde as of 2:45pm.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported, citing the state’s Office of Emergency Services, that the fire resulted in the release of at least 500 pounds (227kg) of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. Contra Costa said, as cited by the news outlet, that the refinery, which is run by PBF Energy, will be required to produce a report analyzing the root causes of the fire in accordance with Martinez’s Industrial Safety Ordinance.