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Quote:Two unions on Thursday filed suit against the Trump administration over its barrage on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
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The lawsuit on Thursday marked the latest in a series of legal actions that federal workers have filed against the Trump administration over a host of issues, including President Donald Trump's executive orders, the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE's) access to sensitive payment and employee systems, and the White House's offer of deferred resignations to more than 2 million government employees.

The American Foreign Service Association and American Federation of Government Employees filed Thursday's suit over USAID. It named Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department, USAID and the U.S. Treasury Department as defendants.
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The suit was filed shortly after the Trump administration proposed a plan to drastically cut USAID staff across the globe, which would leave the agency with less than 300 workers, compared to the thousands it had before Trump took office. USAID is responsible for distributing billions of dollars in foreign assistance to war-torn countries and populations facing poverty and disease.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit described Trump and his administration's actions as "unconstitutional and illegal," adding that they have "systematically dismantled" USAID.

"These actions have generated a global humanitarian crisis by abruptly halting the crucial work of USAID employees, grantees, and contractors," the court filing said. "They have cost thousands of American jobs. And they have imperiled U.S. national security interests."

The Trump administration and Elon Musk's DOGE have trained their sights on USAID since the day Trump took office. Musk has publicly spoken about shutting down USAID entirely, recently describing it as a "ball of worms" that's broken "beyond repair."

Trump also signed an executive order on January 20 directing the government to freeze all foreign assistance for 90 days pending a review of the programs to ensure they aligned with "United States foreign policy."

The freeze hamstrung most USAID global programs, and the Associated Press reported that nearly all the agency's employees have since been furloughed or placed on administrative leave. The agency's headquarters were shut down earlier this month, and the few programs that remain are in the process of being moved under the State Department's umbrella. Trump named Rubio acting director of USAID.

The president's actions, announced without warning, stunned employees within USAID, some of whom were later locked out of the agency's systems while serving in active war zones.

Quote:Southern California Edison (SCE), a subsidiary of Edison International, is under scrutiny as investigations into the Eaton fire's origins reveal potential malfunctions in its electrical equipment.

The fire, which swept through Altadena, California, in early January, claimed at least 17 lives and destroyed over 9,400 homes and businesses.

With homeowners facing massive losses and ongoing investigations by state regulators, the potential implications for compensation and utility accountability are significant.

Why It Matters

For homeowners in California, the recurring threat of wildfires is a significant concern. These disasters not only result in devastating property losses but also influence insurance availability, property values and regional resilience.

If Edison is responsible for the wildfires, the company could face liability. There are estimated damages ranging from $8 billion to $10 billion, per data analysis company Verisk. This estimate does not account for additional sums that may be awarded in various pending lawsuits involving homeowners and victims.

Utility power lines have been the cause of at least eight of the 20 most destructive fires in the history of California, according to the California Legislative Analyst's Office, though only 10 percent of overall wildfires are caused by utility equipment.

Quote:Kroger has recalled several food products from its stores across at least 15 states, and has also recalled products from several Kroger subsidiary stores across the country since the start of February.

Twelve Hummus Tubs From King Harvest
Kroger subsidiary stores Fred Meyers and QFC across Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, have recalled tubs of:

King Harvest lemon hummus, 10 oz
King Harvest hummus classic, 10 oz
King Harvest roasted garlic hummus, 10 oz
King Harvest toasted onion hummus, 10 oz
King Harvest Chipotle hummus, 10 oz
King Harvest spinach hummus, 10 oz
King Harvest black olive hummus, 10 oz
King Harvest Sesame hummus, 10 oz
King Harvest jalapeño hummus, 10 oz
King Harvest balsamic hummus, 10 oz
King Harvest sun dried tomato hummus, 10 oz
King Harvest roasted pepper hummus, 10 oz
These products were recalled due to a defect in their plastic tubs which resulted in the potential for a plastic foreign object inside of the containers.

Kroger told customers: "Customers who purchased any of the item(s) below should not eat the product."

Quote:U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has disbanded a task force established to target Russian oligarchs following the invasion of Ukraine, arguing that resources need to be shifted to focus on the administration's anti-cartel efforts.
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President Joe Biden established Task Force KleptoCapture and the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative to punish Russian oligarchs in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This empowered the U.S. to seize valuable assets, such as yachts worth $120 million, personal airplanes and funds based in the West.

However, President Donald Trump made it a top priority to hit Mexican cartels and criminal activity along and involving the southern border of the U.S.
To that end, Trump signed an executive order designating the cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO), equating the criminal organizations to groups such as ISIS and al-Qaeda and broadening the legal tools available to undermine them.
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Bondi issued a flurry of memos on various orders for the Department of Justice, including one with the subject on February 5, "Total Elimination of Cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations." The memo aimed to pursue "total elimination" of cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations—but doing so by shifting priorities and resources from other operations, including Task Force KleptoCapture.

"The Criminal Division's Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section shall prioritize investigations, prosecutions, and asset forfeiture actions that target activities of cartels and TCOs," the memo stated.

Quote:This week real estate listings website Realtor.com announced it is moving its corporate headquarters from Santa Clara in California to Austin, Texas.

It becomes just the latest high-profile company to transition from the Democratic-controlled Golden State to the Republican Lone Star State following the likes of Chevron, Charles Schwab Corp. and Tesla.

Speaking to Newsweek a Realtor.com spokesperson said: "Realtor.com is making its own big move, and has announced the relocation of our headquarters from Santa Clara, Calif. to Austin, Texas. With the move, the company is doubling down on Austin, making it its top hiring location with a commitment to the long-term growth of its team and office footprint in Texas."
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California and Texas have the biggest and second biggest economies in the Union respectively despite pronounced political differences, with the former Democratic Party run whilst the latter is Republican-dominated. As such they are sometimes held up as a microcosm showing the impact of liberal versus conservative policies across the nation.

Over the past few years, Texas has seen its population surge, increasing by 1.6 percent in the year to July 2022. Over the same period a number of Democratic-controlled states saw their populations fall with California shrinking by 0.3 percent, Illinois by 0.9 percent, Oregon by 0.4 percent and New York by 0.9 percent.
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According to Bloomberg Realtor.com has around 60,000 square feet in its Austin headquarters, with some workers who used to be based out of Santa Clara having been instructed to work remotely.

Over the past few years, Austin has seen a construction boom with a million square feet of new offices created, with the metro area having a nearly 30 percent vacancy rate at the end of 2024 according to data from real estate company Cushman & Wakefield.

Quote:federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's "Fork in the Road" initiative to incentivize more than two million federal workers to resign as part of an effort to slash the bureaucratic workforce.

The Context

The Trump administration has aggressively worked to trim down the federal bureaucracy since Trump took office, in coordination with Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.

The White House announced the offer in an email on January 28 from the Office of Personnel and Management, which said federal employees would get full salary and benefits through the end of September if they resigned before February 6.

What To Know

The lawsuit was brought by the American Federation of Government Employees and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees.

U.S. District Judge George O'Toole Jr. did not comment on the legality of the Trump administration's offer and scheduled a hearing on the issue for Monday afternoon. He also ordered that the deadline for workers to decide whether to resign—originally set for Thursday at 11:59 p.m. ET—be extended to at least Monday after the hearing.

"I enjoined the defendants from taking any action to implement the so-called directive pending the completion of briefing and oral argument on the issues," O'Toole said. " I believe that's as far as I want to go today."

Moments after O'Toole issued his ruling, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that 40,000 government employees had accepted the administration's offer for a deferred resignation, meaning they will stop working but continue to be paid through September 30.

O'Toole's ruling came in response to lawsuits from multiple labor unions who challenged the Trump administration's "Fork in the Road" offer.

Quote:The Treasury Department on Thursday imposed sanctions on a network of over a dozen individuals and companies accused of facilitating the shipment of millions of barrels of Iranian oil to China.

The goal of the sanctions is to stop the development of Iran's nuclear program, which is funded by its oil revenues. The program is rapidly advancing, with Tehran close to enriching uranium at weapons-grade levels.

Why It Matters

In his first term, Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 deal between Iran and several world powers in which Tehran agreed to dismantle much of its nuclear program and allow for more extensive nuclear facility checks in exchange for sanctions relief.

He also imposed sanctions on Iranian oil revenues and international banking transactions. Trump planned to "drastically increase" sanctions to "choke off" Iran's oil income, The Wall Street Journal reported in November 2024. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said in October 2024 that income reached $144 billion between 2021 and 2023 and $34 billion in 2024.

During his confirmation hearing, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent criticized the Biden administration's sanctions policies. He advocated for a more aggressive approach, particularly toward Iran as well as Russian entities and oil.

What To Know

The sanctions, issued by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, are aimed at more than a dozen people and companies based in China, India and the United Arab Emirates. Those sanctioned include Iranian and Indian citizens, crew management companies and several ships.

The move comes after Trump signed an executive order that says Iran should be denied nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles, its "terrorist network should be neutralized" and its development of missiles should be countered. The order also directs Bessent to impose "maximum economic pressure" on the Iranian government, according to a White House fact sheet released Tuesday.

Quote:In a rebuke of the Trump administration, Panama has refuted a claim by the U.S. State Department that American vessels can now transit the Panama Canal without being charged fees.

Why it matters: The dispute comes shortly after the State Department made the announcement Wednesday evening. President Trump has pushed to regain control of the canal — one of the world's most significant pieces of infrastructure.

The latest: "In response to a publication released by the United States Department of State, the Panama Canal Authority, which is authorized to set tolls and other fees for transiting the Canal, reports that it has not made any adjustments to them," the authority said in a statement posted to its X account.

Catch up quick: Trump demanded ahead of taking office that Panamanian authorities either lower fees for U.S. ships to transit the Panama Canal or return its control to the U.S.

• The State Department said on X that the now-disputed agreement to allow passage without fees saves the U.S. government millions of dollars a year, per a post on X.
  
• Representatives for the State Department and Panama's presidential office did not immediately respond to Axios' requests for comment on further details of the deal.
  

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a phone call with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino discussed the U.S. and Panama's shared security interests, per a readout from Pentagon spokesperson John Ullyot.

• The pair "agreed to expand cooperation between the U.S. military and Panama's security forces," Ullyot said.
  
• "They also highlighted the extensive and expanding cooperation between the United States, including the Department of Defense, and the Panama Canal Authority."
  

State of play: During a visit to Panama on Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Panamanian officials including Mulino that Trump had made a preliminary determination that the current Chinese influence over the Panama Canal area was a threat to the artificially made waterway.

Quote:One U.S. service member and three defense contractors were killed on Thursday when a plane contracted by the U.S. military crashed in a rice field in the southern Philippines, according to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

The U.S. Naval Institute reported, according to defense officials, that the service member was a Marine.

The Beechcraft twin-engine Super King Air 350 aircraft was on a routine mission, providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support at the request of Philippine allies, the command said in a statement. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines also confirmed the crash of a light plane in Maguindanao del Sur province but did not immediately provide further details to the Associated Press.
The bodies of the four individuals were recovered from the wreckage in Ampatuan town, according to a safety officer from Maguindanao del Sur. The Indo-Pacific Command noted that the names of the deceased are being withheld until family notifications are made.
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Thursday's crash in the Philippines comes amid the ongoing investigation of the January crash involving a Sikorsky H-60 military helicopter and an American Airlines (AA) passenger jet. The jet was carrying 64 people on board and the Army Black Hawk was carrying three soldiers. All 67 people died in the incident.
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U.S. forces have been stationed at a Philippine military camp in the southern part of the country for decades to provide advice and training to Filipino forces combating Muslim militants. This region is the homeland of minority Muslims within the predominantly Roman Catholic nation.

Windy Beaty, a provincial disaster-mitigation officer, told The Associated Press that residents reported witnessing smoke emanating from the plane and hearing an explosion before it crashed to the ground, landing approximately half a mile from a group of farmhouses.

Beaty said nobody was reported injured on or near the crash site. A water buffalo was killed as a result of the plane crash, local officials said.

Quote:A strike by the Ukrainian Air Force on Monday caused "significant damage" to a Russian command post in Russia's Kursk Oblast, according to Kyiv's military.

Why It Matters

On August 6, Kyiv began a military operation into Kursk, which appeared to take Russian President Vladimir Putin and even Ukraine's allies by surprise. Kyiv later announced it had seized 500 square miles at what was then the lightly-defended border of the Russian region.

Ukraine has maintained positions in Kursk, but Russia has taken back control of approximately half of the area captured by Kyiv's military, according to reports.

Meanwhile, recent Ukrainian air strikes carried out on Russian territory have highlighted vulnerabilities in the Russian military's air defenses.
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On Tuesday, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine wrote in an update posted on Facebook that its forces had conducted a high-precision strike on a Russian command post near Novoivanovka, a village in the Kursk Oblast.

The General Staff said the command post was located in an abandoned building and that a Russian army unit used it to coordinate its military offensive operations in the Kursk region.

"As a result of the operation, the facility sustained significant damage, leading to substantial casualties among enemy personnel," the General Staff update said, noting that measures were taken to limit the risk to civilians.
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The strike near Novoivanovka follows another offensive operation carried out by Ukraine's military that targeted a different command post in Kursk only days earlier.

On Friday, Ukraine's forces conducted a strike that reportedly hit a command post in the Kursk city of Rylsk.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told The Associated Press on Sunday that the strike on the post in Rylsk killed dozens of Russian and North Korean officers.

By Alexandra Koch, Fox News Wrote:The US Army recently announced it shattered previous recruiting records, with December 2024 being the most productive December in 15 years.

The branch reported it enlisted nearly 350 soldiers every day that month, Army officials announced Tuesday on social media.

“Our Recruiters have one of the toughest jobs – inspiring the next generation of #Soldiers to serve. Congratulations and keep up the great work! #BAYCB,” Army recruiting officials wrote in a post on X.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth took to X to share the news.

“BOTTOM LINE: America’s youth want to serve under the bold & strong “America First” leadership of [President Donald Trump] @realDonaldTrump.”

In October 2023, the Army unveiled a series of sweeping changes to its recruiting enterprise, including an expanded focus on a larger share of the labor market and the creation of a specialized talent acquisition workforce.

The Army surged medical providers to Military Entrance Processing Stations across the country to help make the enlistment process more efficient, and leveraged innovative new technologies to reach expanded audiences and help identify candidates interested in military service.

There was also a notable expansion of the branch’s Future Soldier Preparatory Course, which helps potential recruits overcome academic and physical fitness barriers to service, while allegedly “not sacrificing quality for quantity.”

Still, the US military missed its recruiting goals by 41,000 in 2023.

In 2024, the Army announced it was cutting its force by 24,000 in a restructuring to “help the service fight in future wars.”

By Steven Nelson NY Post Wrote:President Trump said Wednesday that he plans to send up to 30,000 illegal immigrants to detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as part of his campaign to mass-deport migrants who have committed crimes.

Trump inked a memorandum requiring the Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security to prepare for migrants there after previewing the plan while signing the anti-illegal immigration Laken Riley Act.

“Today, I’m also signing an executive order to instruct the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to begin preparing the 30,000-person migrant facility at Guantanamo Bay,” Trump said.

“Most people don’t even know that we have 30,000 beds in Guantanamo to detain the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people.”

Trump added that “some of them are so bad, we don’t even trust the countries to hold them, because we don’t want them coming back.”

“This will double our capacity immediately, right? And … it’s a tough place to get out of.”

The memorandum requires the Defense Department and DHS to “take all appropriate actions to expand” facilities “to full capacity to provide additional detention space for high-priority criminal aliens unlawfully present in the United States.”

The United States has a long-term lease from Cuba’s government for a naval facility at Guantanamo Bay, which has housed terrorism suspects since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

Only 15 terror suspects remain there, down from nearly 700 in 2003.

. . .

Border czar Tom Homan told reporters on the White House driveway Wednesday afternoon that “there’s already a migrant center” at the Cuba outpost and “it’s been there for decades.”

. . .

Bailee Hill Fox News Wrote:Border czar Tom Homan issued a warning after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid was leaked this week, greatly reducing the number of violent Venezuelan gang members authorities were able to arrest.

Homan said he will be addressing the leak stemming from Wednesday's operation in Aurora, Colorado, "immediately" during "The Faulkner Focus," making it clear anyone who stifles the agency's ability to get dangerous criminals off the streets will be held accountable.

"We're not going to tolerate it anymore. This is not a game," Homan told Harris Faulkner on Thursday.

"When we show up at these sites, this is a dangerous job for the men and women of ICE and Border Patrol and all the DOJ agencies. To have this type of interference puts our officers at great risk, not only the officers, it puts the aliens at great risk because anything can happen when we take our eyes off the goal here, so we're addressing it immediately today."

"This is not a joke. This is serious business, and they need to stop, or we're going to prosecute them through [the] Department of Justice," he continued.

Homan confirmed a raid in Aurora on Wednesday was leaked to the community beforehand, which greatly reduced the arrests of Tren de Aragua gang members and other dangerous criminals.

Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Denver posted to X that "100+ members of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua were targeted for arrest and detention in Aurora, Colo., today by ICE and its partners @FBI @DEAHQ @CBP @ATFHQ & @USMarshalsHQ in an ongoing investigation."

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Rocky Mountain Division not only confirmed to local KDVR that this was part of the operation that was expected to start in Aurora last week, but also posted a video just after 7 a.m. local time of agents conducting search warrant operations.

However, when hundreds of federal officials began the raid going door-to-door at various apartment complexes, they were met largely with many empty buildings.

Activists also lined the streets taunting them while they looked for perpetrators.

Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY Wrote:The Birds have slain the beast, prevented history in the process and turned in one of the most dominant Super Bowl performances of all time.

The Philadelphia Eagles throttled the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 on Sunday in Super Bowl 59 at Caesars Superdome to deny the Chiefs becoming the NFL’s first-ever “three-peat” Super Bowl champions.

The Eagles didn’t let the Chiefs being on the brink of history – or the last Super Bowl between the teams two years ago, a 38-35 loss for Philadelphia – affect their performance. Philadelphia snatched the pen to write its own version of history and did the football equivalent of drawing on the Chiefs’ forehead.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes ran for his life all game, and the Eagles’ defense deserves the credit for making him jumpy from the start. Josh Sweat led the team with 2 ½ sacks, and Milton Williams had two. The team’s six sacks were one off the Super Bowl record for most sacks in the game. Williams’ strip sack of Mahomes in the fourth quarter, which he recovered, was the exclamation point on the commanding defensive effort.

Mahomes had two touchdown passes in the final three minutes to make the game appear closer than it ever really was.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, aside from one ill-advised interception while facing a free blitzer, played with poise and finished 17-for-22 passing for 221 yards with two touchdowns to go with one rushing score. He was the game’s leading rusher with 72 yards on the ground on 11 attempts. After the Eagles took over on downs late in the third quarter, he found DeVonta Smith (four catches, 69 yards) on a go route down the seam for a 46-yard touchdown to make it 34-0.

Running back Saquon Barkley, who set the all-time record for rushing yards in a season (including playoffs) during the game, did not unleash a breakout run as he’d done all postseason – sometimes multiple times in those games. He finished with 57 rushing yards on 25 carries but caught a team-high six passes for 40 yards. It marked his first time since Week 15 of the regular season without more than 100 rushing yards in a game.

The Chiefs went from the verge of cementing themselves as the team’s most prolific dynasty to facing the prospect of becoming the first team to be shut out on the world’s largest stage. Kansas City started 0-for-8 on third down, and Xavier Worthy caught the team’s first touchdown to make it 34-6 with 34 seconds left in the third quarter.

Down the field, Mahomes had nobody to throw to. Travis Kelce (four receptions, 39 yards) was a non-factor; his first catch came with three minutes remaining in the third quarter and the game already decided. And the lack of rushing attack was one of several factors that allowed the Eagles’ pass rushers to tee off on Mahomes all game.

Mahomes showed up to the stadium Sunday wearing an Eagles shade of green. But it was the Eagles’ defense who had him feeling green.

Nika Shakhnazarova Wrote:Elon Musk claimed early Monday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) sent a staggering $59 million “LAST WEEK to luxury hotels in New York City to house illegal migrants.”

The world’s richest man claimed in an early morning post on X that the funneled emergency funds were “just discovered” by his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — even as President Trump called for a complete overhaul of FEMA that could even see it shuttered.



“Sending this money violated the law and is in gross insubordination to the President’s executive order,” Musk wrote.

“That money is meant for American disaster relief and instead is being spent on high-end hotels for illegals,” continued Musk, who leads the agency tasked with cutting back on government overspending.

“A clawback demand will be made today to recoup those funds.”

Last month, President Trump signed an executive order to create a council to review FEMA as he expressed concerns over there being “serious concerns of political bias” in the agency.

The 47th president called on the council to have its first meeting within 90 days — saying he expects a report of the findings on his desk within 180 days of the council’s first meeting.

Days earlier, Trump, 78, appeared alongside still-homeless survivors of Hurricane Helene four months after the storm where he raised the idea of overhauling FEMA altogether.

The POTUS slammed the performance of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, saying it was “not on the ball… and we’re going to turn it all around.”

The president then told a roundtable of federal and local officials that he will be “signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA — or maybe getting rid of FEMA. I think, frankly, that FEMA’s not good.”

Indeed, the president stayed true to his word.

He also accused the agency — which is responsible for bringing in emergency services, supplies and aid to disaster-struck areas — of bungling emergency relief efforts, adding that US states should be given federal handouts directly in the wake of disasters.

Quote:Listings in the Washington, D.C. housing market are surging and prices are being slashed, as the efforts of Donald Trump and Elon Musk to shrink the size of the U.S. federal workforce leave employees uncertain about their future.

Newsweek contacted Zillow and John Burns Research and Consulting for comment by email on Monday morning.
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Trump's return to the White House is directly affecting the Washington, D.C, housing market. The president's executive order calling for federal workers to return to the office or lose their job spurred an increase in demand for homes in the city. At the same time, mass layoffs advised by the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have left federal workers uncertain about their future and whether they would be needing a home in the area at all.
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As of Monday early morning, there were a total of 2,400 homes listed for sale on Zillow in Washington, D.C, 253 of which had been put on the market in the last seven days and 461 in the last 14 days. More than half the homes currently listed for sale on the real estate platform, 1,489, have been added in the past 90 days.

Some homeowners in Washington, D.C, are not only apparently rushing to sell their properties in the city, but they are also willing to slash prices to attract reluctant buyers. Of the 2,400 homes currently listed for sale on Zillow, 426 have seen a price reduction.

On Zillow, a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom 1,138 square-foot condo in Southwest Washington was listed for $349,900, after a cut of $10,000, and a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom 1,574 square-foot home in Northwest Washington was listed for $1,390,00 after the seller slashed the price by $60,000.

Quote:On Friday night, Senate Commerce Committee chairman Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, revealed to Fox News' Brian Kilmeade that he warned Denmark, a fellow member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), that if the United States doesn't take ownership of Greenland soon, it could become independent from the Danes and then "Denmark gets nothing."

Newsweek reached out to Cruz's office and Denmark's foreign affairs ministry via email for comment on Sunday morning.

Why It Matters

Trump has repeatedly said that he wants to take ownership of Greenland—an autonomous territory in the Kingdom of Denmark—even before he took office. In late December 2024, Trump said while naming PayPal cofounder Ken Howery as his choice for ambassador to Denmark, "For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity."

However, Denmark and Greenland have pushed back on Trump's demands, causing tensions between the U.S., Demark, Greenland and other European countries. Greenland Prime Minister Múte Egede said in late December 2024, "Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale. We must not lose our long struggle for freedom."
Denmark is an ally of the U.S., supporting the nation in the War on Terror when the U.S. invaded Iraq and Afghanistan. Meanwhile, experts have said Greenland is becoming increasingly important to U.S. security interests due to its position in the Arctic.

What To Know

During his appearance on One Nation, Kilmeade asked Cruz about Trump's desire to own Greenland.

"There are strong national security and economic reasons why it makes a lot of sense," Cruz said. "If you look at Greenland geopolitically, it is located right on the Arctic. If, God forbid, we got into a military conflict with Russia or with China, ICBMs [intercontinental ballistic missiles] would come right over the Arctic and Greenland is ideally positioned to defend the United States of America."

The senator added: "Greenland has abundant rare earth minerals and critical minerals that are essential for all of the technology, all of the weaponry that we need. If Greenland were to become a territory, America would invest billions and billions of dollars into developing those resources. That helps America."

Cruz has already made preliminary moves in the attempt to acquire Greenland. He told Kilmeade that he led a hearing in the Senate Commerce Committee this week to examine all the benefits to America, Greenland and Denmark that would come with U.S. ownership of the autonomous territory.

Cruz said he has also met with the Greenlandic and the Danish ambassadors.

The senator said of the Danish ambassador: "They were upset, and they were offended, and they said, 'Greenland is not for sale.' And I laughed and I said, 'You know what? Everything's for sale.'"

He said that he warned Denmark, ever since Trump began talking about wanting to take ownership of Greenland, "the Greenland independence movement has been growing in momentum. And if Greenland declares itself independent of you, Denmark gets nothing."

Quote:Top Russian officials are set to meet with their U.S. counterparts in Saudi Arabia this week, the Kremlin announced Monday, as discussions around potential peace talks to end the war in Ukraine gain momentum.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov will travel to Riyadh later on Monday for talks scheduled on Tuesday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters on Monday he would be in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, but that his trip was unrelated to the U.S.-Russia meeting.

Zelensky said those talks would "yield no results" without Kyiv's participation.

Why It Matters

The talks in Riyadh signal a potential thaw in U.S.-Russia relations after years of tension following Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, upending years of American foreign policy that has alarmed NATO allies.

Saudi Arabia, which has positioned itself as a key diplomatic player in global affairs, has stepped in as a neutral host for the discussions. The kingdom previously facilitated prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia.

What To Know

The discussions will focus on reviving U.S.-Russia relations, potential negotiations on Ukraine, and preparations for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Quote:Sergey Mikheyev, a Russian political scientist, recently warned on state television that the Kremlin could strike three European capitals that belong to member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) following a notable shift in U.S. policy on NATO support under the Trump administration.

Why It Matters

Since taking office, President Donald Trump has signaled a major change in the U.S. position on Ukraine, a close ally that receives substantial American aid, amid its ongoing war with Russia.

The administration has suggested that NATO membership for Ukraine is not probable and has emphasized prioritizing U.S. security and border protection over NATO commitments and willingness to defend Europe.

Russia, meanwhile, appears to be reassessing its political options amid a shift in the U.S. administration's stance.

What To Know

The Trump administration's foreign policy signals a departure from previous U.S. commitments and could impact Ukraine's strategic position. Over the past three years, roughly 50 nations have provided more than $126 billion in military aid to Kyiv but shifting U.S. priorities may pressure European allies to increase their contributions.

In February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its Eastern European neighbor, with the conflict resulting in significant loss of life, international sanctions on Moscow, and a protracted humanitarian crisis. Russia previously annexed Crimea in 2014.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday where he said that "returning to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective."

Trump has also called for European nations to assume the bulk of supporting Ukraine's defense, including a proposed peacekeeping force that would not involve U.S. troops.

On Russian state television, Mikheyev said about the U.S.'s shifting stance towards Russia and Ukraine, "It's certainly clear that what's happening is good news. It's drastically different from all we've seen before," according to a video translated by journalist Julia Davis.

"If you compare the rhetoric of Trump's team with Biden's rhetoric, it's worlds apart," he said, adding, "Now, there is no isolation, even from the American side."

He then referenced the Trump administration's stance on U.S. forces and NATO's Article 5, noting Hegseth's claim that U.S. troops would not be involved in a conflict with Russia, saying, "We should make this thought clear for the Europeans, now we can actually strike Brussels, London and Paris...We can forget about Article 5 and forget about Americans stepping up to help."

Article 5 provides that if a NATO ally is the victim of an armed attack, each and every other member of the alliance will consider this act of violence as an armed attack against all members and will take the actions it deems necessary to assist the ally attacked.

Belgium, the United Kingdom, and France are all NATO countries.

Quote:The United Kingdom would be "ready and willing" to deploy British troops in Ukraine as part of a potential peace deal, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Sunday.

Europe is "facing a once-in-a-generation moment for the collective security of our continent," Starmer said in an article for U.K. newspaper The Telegraph, emphasizing the broader stakes of the conflict started by Russia nearly three years ago. "This is not only a question about the future of Ukraine—it is existential for Europe as a whole."

Why It Matters

The declaration marks a significant change in position from the U.K. on direct military involvement. There will be talks between Russia and the U.S. aimed at bringing an end to Russian President Vladimir Putin's war—talks from which Kyiv has been excluded, according to Ukrainian officials.

What To Know

Starmer said the United Kingdom is "ready to play a leading role" in accelerating work on security guarantees for Ukraine, pledging further military support beyond the £3 billion ($3.7 billion) per year already committed until at least 2030.

"But it also means being ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary," the U.K. prime minister said, marking a significant escalation in Britain's stance on military involvement.

Starmer highlighted the urgency of securing a lasting peace in Ukraine, emphasizing its long-term sovereignty as a critical deterrent against future Russian aggression.

"Securing a lasting peace in Ukraine that safeguards its sovereignty for the long term is essential if we are to deter Putin from further aggression in the future," he wrote.

On February 13, Starmer said that London would be prepared to take action to enforce any future peace settlement with Russia, but stopped short of explicitly committing to deploying British troops to Ukraine.

"I won't get into the particular capabilities, but I do accept that, if there is peace, then there needs to be some sort of security guarantee for Ukraine, and the U.K. will play its part in that," the prime minister added.

Quote:The Chinese military claimed that it deployed forces against a Canadian warship, which transited a contested waterway between China and the self-governed island of Taiwan.

Newsweek has reached out to the Canadian Armed Forces for comment by email.

Why It Matters

China has long claimed that it has "sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction" over the 110-mile-wide Taiwan Strait. However, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a state's sovereignty ends after the 12 nautical miles of its territorial sea.

The United States, as well as its allies, have sent warships to the waterway to assert the freedom of navigation in international waters and to showcase their support for Taiwan, which Communist China considers its territory despite never having governed it.

What To Know

Taiwan first reported Sunday's transit by HMCS Ottawa, a Canadian frigate, which passed through the Taiwan Strait northward. The island's defense ministry said it maintained "full control" over the surrounding sea and airspace, while the situation remained normal.

The Chinese military Eastern Theater Command, which likely executes operational control over military matters related to Taiwan, on Monday confirmed the Canadian warship's movement, claiming that it sent air and naval forces to "monitor and track" the Ottawa.

It also accused Canada of "deliberately provoking disruption" and undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, according to the Eastern Theater Command's statement.

China deployed 41 aircraft, nine naval vessels, and one government ship around Taiwan in the 24 hours to 6 a.m. on Monday, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry announced. It was not immediately clear whether they responded to the Ottawa's passage in the waterway.

Quote:The Massachusetts Teachers Association is under fire from a special state commission on antisemitism for distributing educational materials on the Israel-Hamas war that commissioners contend are antisemitic and offensive.

The Special Commission on Combatting Antisemitism gathered more than two dozen examples of MTA learning materials and other resources that its members said presented a one-sided view that favors Palestinians over Jews and Israelis. The materials intended for classroom use or to broaden educators' knowledge of the issues were posted on the members-only section of the MTA’s website.

Among the materials: a replica of the Star of David made out of folded dollar bills, a poster featuring a hand grabbing the tongue of a snake that read “Unity in Confronting Zionism,” another poster promoting the Free Palestine movement that read “Zionists [expletive] Off,” and another poster seemingly depicting a Palestinian fighter with a rifle that warned, “What was taken by force can only be returned by force.”

The MTA resources also included a storybook about a young Palestinian girl whose family had to flee their home because “a group of bullies called Zionists wanted our land so they stole it by force.” The book asked students to repeatedly write the girl’s name, suggesting it was intended for students who are still learning to write letters, and recommended ways students could help, such as engaging in letter-writing campaigns, raising money, or chanting at protests.

It’s unclear whether Massachusetts educators have used any of the materials as part of classroom lessons.

The 19-member commission, which includes Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker and Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, grilled MTA’s president, Max Page, for two hours and repeatedly lambasted him for allowing the MTA to assemble learning materials that presented only the Palestinian perspective on the Israel-Hamas war. State Senator John Velis, the commission’s cochair, said he couldn’t find anything in the MTA materials that presented the Jewish or Israel perspective.
...
The commission’s probing of the MTA’s activities around the Israel-Hamas war follows more than a year of criticism that the state’s largest teachers union has encountered from some of its own members as well as students, families, and Jewish advocacy organizations over public statements and educational materials they characterize as antisemitic.

Among the actions critics found egregious: the MTA’s board of directors approved a cease-fire statement in December 2023 that equated Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu’s military actions against Hamas to a “genocidal war” against Palestinians, and a webinar on anti-Palestinian racism that a union task force held last spring that included materials many Jewish members found offensive and antisemitic.

Then, in December, the American Jewish Committee, a nonprofit whose New England director, Robert Leikland, also serves on the Special Commission, released a report that accused the MTA of demonizing Israel and promoting one-sided educational material about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Page has repeatedly defended the MTA’s actions, even as he has noted he doesn’t agree with the viewpoints of all the materials, some of which he said he found offensive. He said the actions have emerged organically among the union’s members and he did not want to censor individual members.

Quote:ANevada judge on Tuesday delayed the murder trial of the sole suspect ever charged in the 1996 killing of rap legend Tupac Shakur, postponing it for nearly a year.

Citing new developments from the defense and the need for a fair trial, the judge said she had little choice but to reschedule.

Why It Matters

Duane "Keffe D" Davis is the only suspect ever charged in the 1990s murder of rap legend Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas. A former gang leader, Davis is accused of orchestrating the shooting near the Las Vegas Strip that resulted in Shakur's death shortly after a casino brawl involving Shakur and Davis' nephew, Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson. Davis was arrested in September 2023 in his neighborhood near Las Vegas.

In interviews and his 2019 memoir detailing Davis' experiences as a leader of a Crips gang faction in Compton, he recounted acquiring a .40-caliber handgun and giving it to his nephew, who was seated in the back of a car. According to Davis and authorities, shots were fired from this car at Shakur, who was in another vehicle. Shakur succumbed to his injuries a week later at the age of 25.

Davis and his attorney had previously contended that he should not have been charged with murder due to immunity agreements he claimed to have made with federal and local authorities years ago. Their attempt to dismiss the case failed.

What To Know

Originally set for next month in Las Vegas, the trial of Duane "Keffe D" Davis is now scheduled for February 9, 2026. The judge also ordered prosecutors and the defense to return for a status hearing over the summer.

"It looks like there are quite a few things that are left to be done to get this case prepared so that Mr. Davis can have effective assistance of counsel," Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny said Tuesday.

When the judge asked if he was OK with the lengthy delay, Davis agreed.

Quote:Tesla and X CEO-turned-special government employee Elon Musk claimed to have uncovered “the biggest fraud in history” when he stumbled across more than 20 million people listed in the Social Security database as over 100 years old.

“According to the Social Security database, these are the numbers of people in each age bucket with the death field set to FALSE!” Musk posted on X late Sunday, showing a chart of ages ranging from zero to 369 years old.

“Maybe Twilight is real and there are a lot of vampires collecting Social Security,” he joked, adding that “there are FAR more ‘eligible’ social security [sic] numbers than there are citizens in the USA. This might be the biggest fraud in history.”

However, Musk’s bombshell has long been known by the Social Security Administration (SSA) watchdog, which released an audit in July 2023 showing that 18.9 million people listed as 100 years or older — but not dead — were in the database.

Only 86,000 people living in the US at the time were actually centenarians, according to the Census Bureau.

Quote:The Federal Aviation Administration fired fewer than 400 employees out of its workforce of 45,000, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Monday, as questions rise around air traffic safety amid a spate of recent plane accidents.

Duffy posted the number of layoffs in a social media post message on X, formerly known as Twitter, responding to a post by his Democratic predecessor Pete Buttigieg, who has been critical of the Trump administration's Department of Transportation.

"Less than 400 were let go, and they were all probationary, meaning they had been hired less than a year ago. Zero air traffic controllers and critical safety personnel were let go," Duffy wrote on Monday.

The Trump administration sent air traffic controllers buyout offers but later said they were not eligible, also declaring other safety officials, including TSA officers, ineligible. The FAA remains about 3,500 controllers short of targeted staffing levels.

The Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union said Saturday the FAA had fired several hundred probationary FAA employees.

The union said Monday it believed just under 300 FAA workers it represents were fired, including maintenance mechanics, aeronautical information specialists, aviation safety assistants and management and program assistants.

"These are positions that are vital to supporting public safety," a union spokeswoman said.

The FAA and Transportation Department have declined to say what jobs the fired workers held or why they were fired.

The disclosure came on the same day that Elon Musk's government downsizing team DOGE was visiting the FAA's Air Traffic Control command center in Warrenton, Virginia, Duffy said.

Quote:The Trump administration scored a legal victory on Tuesday, when a federal judge denied a bid to block Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency from accessing sensitive information and firing employees across different government agencies.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan denied the request from 14 states for a temporary restraining order against Musk and DOGE, saying the plaintiffs did not show "clear evidence of imminent, irreparable harm" that could result from Musk having access to federal agency systems that house the bank account and personal information of millions of American taxpayers.

The Context

The lawsuit, filed by New Mexico and 13 other Democratic states, challenged DOGE's authority to access sensitive government data. The plaintiffs argued that the actions Musk has taken while heading up DOGE can only be taken by an official who was nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

What To Know

"Plaintiffs legitimately call into question what appears to be the unchecked authority of an unelected individual and an entity that was not created by Congress and over which it has no oversight. In these circumstances, it must be indisputable that this court acts within the bounds of its authority," Chutkan wrote in a ten-page opinion.

"Accordingly, it cannot issue a TRO, especially one as wide-ranging as Plaintiffs request, without clear evidence of imminent, irreparable harm to these Plaintiffs," she wrote. "The current record does not meet that standard."

Chutkan's ruling came one day after the White House said in a legal filing that Musk is not the head of DOGE.

Musk is "an employee of the White House Office" and "holds a position as a non-career Special Government Employee," the filing said. "Like other senior White House advisors, Mr Musk has no actual or formal authority to make government decisions himself."

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO's exact role in the Trump administration could be a crucial factor as it relates to DOGE's access to government data. Positioning Musk as an adviser as opposed to someone overseeing daily operations could strengthen the administration's defense against lawsuits claiming Musk wields excessive power as an unelected official who was not confirmed by the Senate.

Quote:A retired Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) supervisory special agent says Mexico’s notorious Sinaloa drug cartel is deeply entrenched in major US cities and in smaller communities, describing its influence as so pervasive, it’s “woven into our communities.”

The cartel’s reach, Brian Townsend said, is more expansive and destructive than many realize with its grip on both urban and rural areas across the US.

“We have some larger locations that are well known for Sinaloa control, like Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Tucson, Dallas, Atlanta, and New York City,” he told Fox News Digital. “But they have distribution points throughout the United States, and from there, they use those hubs, and then [the distribution] spoke out from there into our communities.”

The head of the DEA said last year that the US is facing the “most dangerous and deadly drug crisis” in its history with fentanyl and methamphetamine flowing across the border — and that the “Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels are at the heart of this crisis.”

Townsend noted that 300 people per day die from drug overdoses in the US.

The former DEA agent, who founded Eagle 6 Training, shared that the Sinaloa Cartel works with chemical suppliers to receive the materials for “pennies.”

“It’s primarily from China,” he said. “There are other countries and other suppliers, like India, involved. But China is by far number one.”

“From the ports, they are trucked to various locations where the manufacturing of fentanyl occurs. And then from there, they’re smuggled into the United States.”

Townsend said the Mexican cartel is “very good at this,” and by adding fentanyl to their distribution, they are “making a lot of money killing Americans with it.”

Quote:Delta Air Lines' stance on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is under fire after a plane crash in Toronto on Monday that injured at least 17 people.
...
DEI policies have come under fire following at least four major aviation incidents this year, with President Donald Trump questioning if such initiatives were partly to blame for the fatal mid-air collision between an American Airlines plane and a military helicopter in Washington, D.C., in January that killed 67 people.

Following the crash, Trump said that DEI programs had "lowered standards" for hiring air traffic controllers in the Federal Aviation Administration during the Joe Biden and Barack Obama presidencies.
Days later, the Trump administration began firing hundreds of FAA employees.

There is no evidence to suggest DEI policies were to blame for any of the plane crashes that have occurred this year.

On his first day in office, Trump ordered the removal of officials overseeing DEI efforts across federal agencies as well as the dismantling of federal diversity programs. A memo from the Office of Personnel Management, released in January, directed agency heads to place all DEI staff on paid administrative leave, and to plan for staff reductions by January 31. The memo also mandated the removal of DEI materials and the withdrawal of documents that conflicted with the new directives.
...
At least 17 people were injured, three critically, when a Delta plane crashed at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday after taking off from Minneapolis, the Associated Press reported. One of the critically injured passengers was a child.

Aviation expert Scott Hamilton told Newsweek strong that strong winds and snow in Toronto could have played a role in the crash.

Footage from the scene, posted by News Channel3 Now, showed the Delta plane overturned on snow-covered tarmac, with passengers walking away from the wreckage.

Quote:The Federal Aviation Administration is fighting a class-action lawsuit alleging it denied 1,000 would-be air traffic controllers jobs because of diversity hiring targets — as it was revealed that staffing levels were “not normal” at the time of this week’s deadly midair collision.

Complaints about the FAA’s hiring policies resurfaced after the American Airlines passenger plane and a Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, killing 67 people in the country’s deadliest aviation disaster in almost a quarter-century.

Details of the litigation re-emerged, too, as Andrew Brigida, the lead plaintiff in the suit filed in 2015, suggested the federal aviation agency’s obsession with diversity hiring and inclusion had only ensured that an accident was likely to happen.

The crux of the lawsuit is that the FAA, under the Obama administration, dropped a skill-based system for hiring controllers and replaced it with a “biographical assessment” in an alleged bid to boost the number of minority job applicants.

Brigida, who is white, alleges he was discriminated against solely based on his race when his application was rejected, court papers state.

The would-be air traffic controller, who graduated from Arizona State University’s collegiate training initiative in 2013, was turned down for a job even though he had scored 100% on his training exam, the lawsuit alleges.

Quote:Polish President Andrzej Duda said Tuesday that he has received assurances from the U.S. that Washington will not reduce its troop presence in Poland or along NATO's eastern flank.

While the administration of President Donald Trump has not announced plans to withdraw forces from the region, it has emphasized that Europe must take greater responsibility for its own security. This stance has raised concerns among NATO allies about Washington's commitment to its longstanding defense obligations.

"There are no concerns that the U.S. would reduce the level of its presence in our country, that the US would in any way withdraw from its responsibility or co-responsibility for the security of this part of Europe," Duda told reporters in Warsaw.

"On the contrary, I hope that thanks to the efforts that President Trump is currently making, the war in Ukraine will end."
...
The Polish president's comments come amid uncertainty in Europe over the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, and the United States' involvement in the conflict, as American officials were set to meet with Russian counterparts.

Over the weekend, European Union and United Kingdom officials were working on a multibillion-dollar package to boost security in the region.

What To Know

Duda, who has long been friendly to Trump, spoke to reporters after meeting General Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, on Tuesday.

Duda said his assessment was based on conversations he had in recent days, both with Kellogg and with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, whom he hosted in Warsaw last week.

He called on Poles "to remain calm" in light of shifting priorities under Trump.

Quote:Sergey Lagodinsky, a German lawyer and member of the European Parliament, took to social media to voice his dismay regarding the U.S.'s three-stage peace plan for Ukraine, calling it a "gift by Trump to Putin."
...
European countries have criticized the peace talks between American and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia, accusing the U.S. of sidelining Ukraine and alleging that it had made concessions to Russian President Vladimir Putin before the talks began.

Government officials representing the United Kingdom, Lithuania and Germany have spoken out and demanded that Kyiv have a seat at the table during peace negotiations.
...
On Tuesday, Lagodinsky wrote on X, formerly Twitter, "According to my sources: the proposal by #Trump consists of 3 stages: 1) a ceasefire 2) ELECTIONS in Ukraine 3) signing of a final agreement."

He continued: "This is complete fulfillment of all #Putin desires. Especially the election part is a gift by Trump to Putin. Putin hates @ZelenskyyUa 'cuz he defeated his plans to subjugate #Ukraine. And dreams to get a pro-Russia candidate after the exhausting war. For Trump it would also be handy to get a president who would be so weak that he would sing off all the Ukrainian resources. It must be very clear to us, Europeans, that elections MUST take place AFTER the final stage. Not before it. Also because the final agreement cannot be the result of a pro-Russia candidate possibly elected under stage 2)."

Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported that the U.S.'s proposed three-stage peace plan was the result of the peace talks between Russia and the U.S. in Saudi Arabia.

Keith Kellogg, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, told Reuters earlier this month that Ukrainian presidential and parliamentary elections, which were suspended during the war, "need to be done."

On Monday, The Telegraph reported on a U.S. proposal to Ukraine after obtaining "a draft of the pre-decisional contract, marked 'Privileged & Confidential.'"

The terms of the leaked draft contract said the U.S. and Ukraine should form a joint investment fund and that the U.S. would take a portion of recurring revenues received by Ukraine from extraction of resources, as well as some of the financial value of "all new licenses issued to third parties" for the future monetization of resources. Trump has pushed to strike an agreement with Ukraine for access to the equivalent of $500 billion worth of rare earth materials.

Quote:China had a list of demands for Washington after the State Department removed a line about the U.S.'s opposition to the independence of Beijing-claimed Taiwan from a fact sheet.
...
The government in Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, has ruled the island since retreating there after losing the Chinese civil war to Mao Zedong's communist forces. Taiwan has never declared independence—a move China has threatened war over—but functions as a sovereign state with its own democratic government, military and defined territory.

To establish diplomatic relations with Beijing, China requires countries to recognize the "One China" principle and cut official ties with Taiwan. For more than four decades, the U.S. has followed a "One China" policy, acknowledging—but not endorsing—China's claim over the island of 23 million and not expressing support for de jure Taiwan independence.
...
Last week, the State Department removed the phrase "we do not support Taiwan independence" from its fact sheet on Taiwan relations.

It is unclear why the phrase was removed or whether the move is related to a policy change ordered by the Trump administration.

During the Chinese Foreign Ministry's regular news briefing on Monday, spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the State Department had "gravely backpedaled," flouted international law and violated standing agreements with Beijing.

"This is another example of the U.S. clinging to its wrong policy of 'using Taiwan to contain China,'" he added. Guo urged the U.S. to "immediately correct its wrongdoings."

He also demanded that Washington "stop upgrading its substantive relations with Taiwan, stop helping Taiwan expand so-called 'international space,' stop emboldening and supporting 'Taiwan independence' and avoid further severe damage to China-U.S. relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."

On Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts in Munich.

In a joint statement, the trio stressed the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and opposed "any attempts to unilaterally force or coerce changes to the status quo." In a first for the three nations, the diplomats also urged greater meaningful participation for the island in international organizations.

Quote:Beijing has issued a lukewarm response to the U.S. proposal for Chinese and Brazilian peacekeepers to be deployed to Ukraine once a ceasefire is achieved, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China.
...
The proposal of China sending peacekeepers to Ukraine has been met with criticism online as the U.S. previously accused Beijing of aiding Russia's war against Ukraine by providing satellite imagery for military purposes, microelectronics, and machine tools for tanks. The EU has since implemented its first "fully fledged" sanctions on Chinese firms for their support for Russia.

Other global powers, including the U.K. and France, have talked about deploying peacekeepers to Ukraine after a ceasefire has been achieved.
...
In response to the U.S. proposal to send Chinese peacekeepers to Ukraine, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said, "We don't comment on a hypothetical question. China always upholds a just position on the issue of Ukraine crisis, and we've made this very clear on multiple occasions."

Guo's statement was in response to a report by The Economist that said that American officials were discussing the idea of sending Chinese or Brazilian peacekeepers to Ukraine to "sit along an eventual ceasefire line as a sort of buffer" instead of European peacekeepers after a ceasefire.

The report also alleged that Vice President JD Vance told Europeans that a European-only peacekeeping force would be less effective in preventing Russia from conducting further attacks on Ukraine.

Commenting on China's role in a peace agreement involving Ukraine, Guo said that "On any dispute and conflict in the world, China always advocates dialogue, consultation and political settlement. This is also true when it comes to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine."

He added that "China is not the creator of the Ukraine crisis nor a party to it. That said, we have not just sat by and watched the crisis unfold or profiteered from the crisis. Right after the Ukraine crisis broke out, China proposed to settle the crisis through dialogue and consultation. We've followed the four points about what must be done, which were proposed by President Xi Jinping, as our fundamental guidance, actively carried out diplomatic mediation, and set up the Group of 'Friends for Peace' together with Brazil and other Global South countries. The development of the situation also proved that China's proposition is objective, impartial, rational and pragmatic, and represents the prevailing consensus in the international community."

Quote:orth Korea has denounced the U.S. and its allies for pursuing what it called the "absurd" goal of denuclearization, vowing instead to bolster its nuclear capabilities under leader Kim Jong Un.

The statement, issued Tuesday by North Korea's Foreign Ministry via state media, follows a meeting in Germany where top diplomats from the U.S., South Korea, and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to countering Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions through military cooperation and sanctions.

Why It Matters

Diplomatic efforts between the U.S. and North Korea have remained stalled since the collapse of nuclear negotiations between former President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un in 2019. While Trump and Kim met three times in 2018 and 2019, talks ultimately broke down over disagreements regarding sanctions relief and the North's disarmament steps.

Pyongyang has since shifted its foreign policy focus toward Russia. North Korea has supplied military equipment to Moscow amid Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, a move that has raised concerns in Seoul and Washington. In exchange, analysts suggest North Korea could be receiving economic aid and military technology that may further advance its weapons programs.

What to Know

North Korea accused the U.S. of attempting to implement an "outdated and absurd plan" for denuclearization and warned of "overwhelming and decisive counteraction" if it perceives threats to its security. The Foreign Ministry stated that the country would "consistently adhere to the new line of bolstering the nuclear force" and deter "the U.S. and its vassal forces" from challenging its sovereignty.

The statement comes after U.S. Secretary of State Mark Rubio met with South Korean and Japanese counterparts in Munich, Germany, on Saturday. The officials reaffirmed their commitment to North Korea's "complete denuclearization" and maintaining sanctions aimed at curbing Pyongyang's weapons program. They also pledged to strengthen military deterrence, including through expanded joint exercises and enhanced defense cooperation between Japan and South Korea.

Quote:Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth faced some heat on Wednesday after directing the Department of Defense (DOD) to find $50 billion in programs to cut next year so the money can be spent on President Donald Trump's priorities, The Associated Press reports.

Newsweek reached out to the Pentagon via email for comment.

Why It Matters

Hegseth's comments on Wednesday were a departure from when he suggested last week, while traveling in Europe, that he would support backing a bigger budget, CNN reported.

"I think the U.S. needs to spend more than the Biden administration was willing to, who historically underinvested in the capabilities of our military," Hegseth said.
The defense secretary's directive also aligned him with some progressive lawmakers across the aisle, who have historically favored making cuts to the military's budget in order to fund programs like Social Security.

What To Know

Robert Salesses, who is performing the duties of deputy secretary of defense, highlighted Hegseth's directive in a statement, singling out "woke programs" and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

Salesses said in his statement that the cuts Hegseth wants to make will help fund President Donald Trump's agenda and priorities like building an Iron Dome in the United States and helping to secure the border.

The $50 billion in cuts Hegseth is seeking account for roughly eight percent of the military's budget, the AP reported.

It's not immediately clear which programs could be on the chopping block as a result of the defense secretary's directive.

Quote:Two Republican lawmakers broke ranks on Thursday when the Senate voted to confirm Kash Patel as the next director of the FBI after a contentious confirmation process.

The Context

Patel, who testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in January, was widely considered one of Trump's most vulnerable nominees, facing questions about his previous criticism of the FBI's Russia investigation and pledges to fire top agency personnel who investigated Trump during his first term and after.

What To Know

The Senate narrowly voted to confirm Patel 51-49, with two Republicans voting against the former federal prosecutor's confirmation:

• Senator Susan Collins of Maine.
  
• Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
  

Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, who was closely watched as a possible swing vote, ultimately voted to confirm Patel on Thursday. The former Senate majority leader has voted to confirm a number of Trump nominees, but voted against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.

In her statement announcing she would not support Patel, Collins said that "recent personnel actions" at the Justice Department indicate that there is "a compelling need for an FBI Director who is decidedly apolitical."

"While Mr. Patel has had 16 years of dedicated public service, his time over the past four years has been characterized by high profile and aggressive political activity," Collins said.

"Mr. Patel has made numerous politically charged statements in his book and elsewhere discrediting the work of the FBI, the very institution he has been nominated to lead," the Maine senator continued. "These statements, in conjunction with the questionnaire sent to thousands of FBI employees, cast doubt on Mr. Patel's ability to advance the FBI's law enforcement mission in a way that is free from the appearance of political motivation."

Quote:Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem on Thursday reduced deportation protections and work permits for 521,000 Haitians under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson confirmed to Reuters.

The protections will expire in August, reversing a Biden administration decision that extended protections through February 2026.

...
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance said during the 2024 election campaign that programs like TPS had been abused under former President Joe Biden and suggested that they were illegal.
The Trump administration's move to reduce the protections is in line with Trump and Vance's pledge to undo Biden's immigration policies, some of which also protected immigrants from 15 other countries who are already in the U.S.
...
Trump previously attempted to end most TPS enrollments during his first term but was blocked by federal courts.

Earlier this month, Noem also revoked Biden-era TPS extensions for 600,000 Venezuelans. Protections for a large percentage of that group will now expire in April.
Around 500,000 Haitians could be affected by the DHS' move to end TPS in August 2025. The department said it was allowing the protections to lapse in part because those who entered the country illegally were able to participate in the program.

TPS protections are only granted to nationals who can prove they have been continuously present in the U.S. since the most recent limit set by DHS. Those who have been convicted of a felony or two or more misdemeanors are not eligible for TPS.

Haiti has been on the TPS list since the country was devastated by a 2010 earthquake. Other countries on the list include Afghanistan, Somalia, and Ukraine, since 2010, following an earthquake. The Secretary of Homeland Security generally grants TPS to people from countries with ongoing armed conflicts, serious human rights abuses, or climate disasters.

Quote:President Donald Trump's commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, a billionaire businessman who was confirmed in his role by the Senate on Tuesday, warned of widespread fraud in the Social Security program, which he described as "wrong."

Lutnick suggested on Fox News on Wednesday that the Trump administration's Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which was tapped by the president to shrink the size of the federal government, will be looking into cuts to the program which represents a crucial lifeline for millions of Americans.
...
Over 68 million Americans receive Social Security benefits every month, according to the latest data shared by the Social Security Administration (SSA), which manages the program. More than 54 million of these are retired workers and their dependents, more than 5 million are family members of deceased retired workers, and more than 8 million are disabled workers and their dependents.

The benefits are crucial to help older Americans, workers with disabilities, and families in which a spouse or parent has died maintain financial stability. Any cut to the program, which is already struggling with the looming threat of insolvency, could make an enormous difference in beneficiaries' financial health.
...
Lutnick didn't offer any evidence of widespread fraud within the Social Security program. He said that the program would be looked at by DOGE.

"When I set up DOGE with Elon [Musk], so back in October [...] I flew down to Texas, got Elon Musk to do it. Here was our agreement: that Elon was going to cut a trillion dollars of waste, fraud, and abuse," Lutnick said on Wednesday, speaking to Fox News host Jesse Watters.

"Think about it: we have almost $4 trillion in entitlements and no one has ever looked at it before. You know Social Security is wrong. You know Medicaid and Medicare are wrong," the commerce secretary said.

"So, he [Musk] is going to cut a trillion, and then we'll get rid of all those tax scams that hammer against America and we're going to raise a trillion dollars of revenues," he said. "Our objective, under Donald Trump, is to bounce this budget and I'm telling you, you watch it, we're going to do it."

Recently, both Trump and Musk claimed that tens of millions of dead people over 100 years old are receiving Social Security payments, a statement that was rejected by the new head of the SSA Lee Dudek. Dudek said that while some improper payments have likely been made, the numbers mentioned by the president and Musk are overstated.

Quote:President Donald Trump joked about a potential third term during a Black History Month reception on Thursday at the White House.
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This is not a new notion for the president, as Trump has made similar comments in the past. But a U.S. president cannot be elected for more than two terms, as stated in the 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

"No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once," the amendment reads.
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While speaking to the crowd, Trump said while laughing, "Should I run again? You tell me. There's your controversy right there." The crowd then began shouting, "Four more years! Four more years!" Eventually Trump waved off the crowd and said, "You're going to see that tonight ... on television."

Republican Tennessee Congressman Andy Ogles has floated a bill to amend the Constitution to allow Trump to run for a third term. Ogles acknowledged that the bill faces an uphill battle, but it is "very important" for the country's future, he says.

What People Are Saying

Political analyst Craig Agranoff told Newsweek via text on Thursday: "Trump has always used bold statements and unpredictability as part of his political brand, and hinting at a third run fits that pattern. Whether he's serious or simply rallying his base, the impact is the same...it keeps him in the spotlight, energizes his supporters, and forces both allies and opponents to respond. Given his history, it's difficult to say with certainty whether this is a genuine intention or a strategic move, but it certainly keeps the conversation centered on him."

Quote:Governor Kathy Hochul plans to announce Thursday that she will not use her authority to remove New York City Mayor Eric Adams from office but will push for strict new oversight measures on his administration, according to the New York Times, which spoke to two officials familiar with her thinking.
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Adams is accused of entering a coercive arrangement with the Trump administration to drop corruption charges. Hochul's decision not to remove him preserves voters' will but imposes strict new guardrails on the mayor's office, potentially harming his re-election chances while allowing him to serve the rest of his term.

Hochul will unveil legislation that includes creating a state deputy inspector general dedicated to overseeing New York City. Other measures would establish a fund for the city comptroller, public advocate, and City Council speaker to hire legal counsel to challenge the federal government if the mayor does not, bar the mayor from firing the city's Department of Investigation head without state inspector general approval, and increase state comptroller oversight of city finances.

The mayor has repeatedly said he will not resign, even as Democratic officials have called for his removal or resignation. Federal charges accuse him of accepting travel perks and campaign contributions from Turkish nationals in exchange for government favors.

U.S. District Judge Dale Ho is deliberating on whether to dismiss the charges after a recent hearing. Adams' critics argue his dealings with Trump officials compromised his ability to lead.

While Hochul has the authority to remove the mayor, she expressed concern about overriding voters' decisions. She hopes the oversight measures will reassure New Yorkers that the city will be held accountable until elections later this year.

Some allies of Adams and state lawmakers wary of further state intervention may resist the proposals when Hochul asks for legislative approval next week.

Quote:The congestion plan to reduce traffic and raise funds for New York's public transport was recently axed by President Donald Trump, potentially leading to the loss of millions in revenue for the city.

What Was The Proposed Congestion Pricing Plan?

The congestion pricing plan, officially known as the Central Business District Tolling Program, was approved by state lawmakers in 2019 and greenlit by the Biden administration in 2023.

The first-in-the-nation program took effect on January 5, after which most drivers were charged $9 tolls to enter Manhattan's busiest districts during peak hours, with motorcycles charged $4.50, and larger vehicles charged between $14.40 and $21.60.

City officials said that the plan would cut traffic and its associated environmental impacts, while also providing a lifeline to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which could use the toll revenues to improve the city's subway, bus and commuter rail systems.

A majority of New York voters were skeptical of Trump's desire to terminate the plan, according to an early February survey of 1,203 registered voters in the state by Morning Consult. Six-in-ten voters said that President Trump should "allow congestion pricing in New York City to continue."

Why Does Trump Want to Axe Congestion Pricing?

Earlier in February, Trump told The New York Post that the plan was "destructive to New York," adding that the reduction in traffic was hurting Manhattan's economy.

"Traffic is way down because people can't come into Manhattan and it's only going to get worse," Trump told the outlet. "People don't know about it until they get the bill."

The plan has also received pushback from neighboring New Jersey, whose officials have argued that the toll discriminates against its residents driving into the city and places an undue burden on interstate commerce.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy wrote a letter to Trump in late January, in which he called the plan "a disaster for working- and middle-class New Jersey commuters and residents who need or want to visit lower Manhattan," and asked the president to give congestion pricing "the close look it deserved."

Quote:Texas Governor Greg Abbott has suggested Kentucky Fried Chicken should change its name to Texas Fried Chicken, after KFC announced it is moving its U.S. headquarters to the Lone Star State.
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Multiple major corporations have moved their corporate headquarters to Texas, attracted by the Republican controlled state's low taxes and business friendly policies. These include investment company Charles Schwab Corporation, energy firm Chevron and Elon Musk companies X, formerly Twitter, and SpaceX. Now KFC has moved there, despite its brand's ties to Kentucky.

What To Know

On Wednesday Abbott shared a New York Times story on X about KFC's announcement that it would be relocating its headquarters to his state.
In an apparent joke the governor added: "Kentucky Fried Chicken is leaving Kentucky & moving to Texas. Welcome to Texas, Colonel & company. Many hungry Texans appreciate your move.
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"Now, and hear me out, any chance you would consider a name like Texas Fried Chicken or TFC? It's a great brand."

Yum! Brands revealed KFC would move its corporate headquarters from Louisville in Kentucky to Plano, Texas, on Tuesday.

The shift will mean 100 employees relocating to the new headquarters over the coming six months, with another 90 workers making the move over the next 18 months. However, KFC will keep a corporate office in Louisville and plans to open a new flagship restaurant in the city.

Texas has recorded solid economic growth over the past decade, with an analysis by Realtor.com predicting it will become the most populous state in the Union by 2045.

Quote:National Security Adviser Mike Waltz on Thursday declined to say who was responsible for the war in Ukraine, fanning the flames of a controversy started by President Donald Trump that has roiled relations between Kyiv and Washington.

Waltz sidestepped multiple questions from reporters about the origins of the war, one day after Trump claimed falsely that Ukraine started the conflict. Russia started the war by launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

"His goal is to bring this war to an end, period," Waltz said of Trump, when asked by reporters at a White House press briefing to say which nation was responsible for starting the war.

Waltz's refusal to criticize Trump's characterization of the start of the war is likely to further an issue that has driven a wedge between the United States and Ukraine.
The two nations maintained close relations under former President Joe Biden but cracks in the partnership have emerged since Trump started his second term, pledging to end the three-year war on "day one."

The rift intensified this week after a delegation of senior U.S. officials — including Waltz — met with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia to start negotiations to end the war. Ukraine did not participate in the talks, prompting concerns from Kyiv that it would be sidelined in the peace negotiations going forward.

Ukraine also rejected a U.S. proposal to receive a 50 percent interest in the country's minerals and some other natural resources in exchange for America's support for Kyiv over the past three years.

President Volodymyr Zelensky's rejection of the offer prompted Trump to lash out on social media. Trump called Zelensky a "dictator without elections" because Ukraine has been under martial law since the start of the war.

Speaking to reporters at the White House Thursday, Waltz said Trump's frustration with Zelensky was "multifold." He pointed to the negotiations over control of Ukraine's natural resources and the Trump administration's belief that "there needs to be a deep appreciation" for everything the U.S. has done to aid Ukraine.

Waltz also echoed a claim made by Trump on the 2024 campaign trail that the war would never have taken place if he had been in office at the time instead of Biden.

Quote:President Donald Trump issued Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky an ultimatum regarding his "resurrection" of the rare earths deal, according to Forbes Breaking News.
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Trump's statement about resurrecting the rare earths deal comes as tensions between himself and Zelensky have risen, as the U.S. and Russia held peace talks without Ukraine in Saudi Arabia, and the president called Zelensky a "dictator without elections."
Pushing for a deal that Ukraine may not agree to could delay the progression of peace negotiations, drawing out the war.

What To Know

Speaking to journalists about the potential rare earth materials deal with Ukraine, Trump said on board Air Force One on Wednesday, "I think I'm gonna resurrect it. You know, we'll see what happens, but I'm gonna resurrect it or things are gonna not make him too happy. And look, it's time for elections, haven't had an election in a long time."

He added that the U.S. is "doing very well with Russia" and that the U.S. is "going to do something with Russia," adding that a deal can be made with Moscow to "stop the killing of potentially additional millions of people. Soldiers are being just wiped out on both sides."

The president also alleged that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who presented the agreement to Ukraine during a visit to Kyiv, was treated "rather rudely" as Zelensky was not available to see him, and that he "went there to get a document signed, and when he got there, he came back empty. They wouldn't sign the document."

This statement comes after Zelensky rejected the agreement, which sought to give American companies 50 percent ownership of Ukraine's rare earth mineral deposits.

Trump had recently been pushing the deal and previously stated that he wants "the equivalent of $500 billion of rare earth" in return for the continued provision of aid by the U.S.

The Ukrainian president rejected the deal because he argued that it "is not ready to protect us, our interest," providing no security guarantees.

Zelensky has since instructed his team to work on crafting a counterproposal to Trump's rare earths deal that includes explicit security guarantees, while still allowing the U.S. access to its mineral deposits.

Quote:President Donald Trump gave Europe three weeks to sign off on terms for Ukraine's "surrender" to Russia, a member of the European Parliament (MEP) claimed.
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Observers of the 3-year-old war have worried that Trump may strike a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin that pressures Ukraine to abandon its aspirations to join NATO and cede its currently occupied territories, effectively capitulating to Moscow's demands.

Ukraine says it has been excluded from high-stakes negotiations that will shape its future.
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In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Finland's Mika Aaltola of the European People's Party claimed that the U.S. "has given us three weeks to agree on terms for Ukraine's surrender," referring to a proposed peace deal aimed at ending the war.

"If we don't, the United States will withdraw from Europe," Aaltola added.
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He didn't provide evidence for his claims.

NBC News, citing U.S. officials, reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Ukrainian officials in a closed-door meeting that Washington may significantly reduce its troop presence in Europe. The report is based on sources with knowledge of private discussions between the Trump administration and the Ukrainian government.

Days after Trump was sworn in for a second term as U.S. president, a European diplomatic source told a leading Italian news agency that Trump plans to withdraw roughly 20,000 U.S. troops from Europe.

The source told ANSA that Trump aims to reduce the American military presence on the continent by about 20 percent and intends to demand greater financial contributions from NATO allies to cover the costs of maintaining the remaining forces.

Quote:Donald Trump's rift with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky deepened this week as he labeled him a "dictator" and urged Ukraine to hold elections, intensifying speculation over who could succeed the Ukrainian leader.

Amid the public fallout, The Economist reported Wednesday that it had obtained internal polling indicating that General Valery Zaluzhny—who was a key figure in the war against Russia—would beat Zelensky should a wartime election be held.

Who is Valery Zaluzhny?

Zaluzhny served as Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces from 2021 to 2024 and now holds the position of ambassador to the United Kingdom. He was dismissed as head of the military on February 8, 2024, and replaced by General Oleksandr Syrsky.

Tensions between Zaluzhny and Zelensky had been simmering for months before he was removed from his post. The pair are reported to have clashed over the general's war strategies and the challenge of mass mobilization, CNN reported.

Zaluzhny's growing popularity among both the public and the military further fueled speculation that he posed a potential political challenge to Zelensky's presidency, Ukrainian and Russian media outlets reported.

In a commentary for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, published shortly after Zaluzhny's dismissal, researcher Konstantin Skorkin described the move as "the first time [Zelensky] has so openly gone against the tide of public opinion."

He said the decision likely alienated voters who view Ukraine's military personnel as heroes and Zaluzhny as their leader.

"But that's only half the story," Skorkin added, citing polls showing that 72 percent of Ukrainians—roughly the same percentage who once supported Zelensky—disagreed with Zaluzhny's removal.

What Has Zaluzhny Said About Entering Politics?

While Zaluzhny has not officially pledged to run for office, he has not ruled out the possibility.

When asked about his potential participation in Ukraine's future presidential elections, he dismissed the question as "inappropriate" but hinted at a future decision.

Quote:Four major Russian oil refineries have been forced to suspend operations after Ukrainian drone attacks throughout the past month, according to various outlets.
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Ukraine has frequently targeted Russian energy facilities in an effort to stop Russia's ability to continue funding the war.

Following drone strikes in 2024, Russia's average daily production of crude oil hit a 20-year low. The economic consequences of this are vast, as Russia's decrease in oil production not only starves its ability to fund its war effort but also decreases the amount of revenue generated from one of Moscow's key exports, which yields high profits.

What To Know

Russia's Syzran oil refinery, which is operated by Rosneft, one of the country's largest oil production companies, suspended its operations on February 19 after an attack by a Ukrainian drone that resulted in a fire, Reuters reported.

One of two unidentified industry sources told the outlet, "Refining has been temporarily suspended at CDU-6 due to a fire." The refinery, located in the city of Samara, was the subject of several Ukrainian attacks throughout 2024 and lies about 700 kilometers (430 miles) from the Russia-Ukraine border, according to the Kyiv Independent.

Andriy Kovalenko, the head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation, wrote on Telegram that the oil refinery has "a processing capacity of 8.9 million tons of oil per year, making it one of the medium-sized refineries in the Russian Federation," and produces "fuel, aviation kerosene and bitumen."

Quote:ARussian military radar and spyware facility in Moscow has been burned down, according to local reports.

A massive blaze erupted at the sanctioned Lebedev Institute of Precision Mechanics and Computer Engineering in Russia's capital on Wednesday night, with Telegram channels highlighting its connections to the country's defense industry.

Newsweek has contacted the Russian government for comment via email.

Why It Matters
The cause of the fire remains unclear but numerous military facilities across Russia have been engulfed in flames since the start of Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.
Ukraine, primarily using drones, has targeted Russian military sites that support the country's ongoing aggression throughout the conflict.
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What To Know

Helicopters were seen dousing the building with water in videos shared by the Telegram channel of the Sirena news outlet.

Sirena reported that the facility is involved in developing SIM cards with Russian encryption, manufacturing radar processors for marine radar stations and creating a system which enables Russia's security forces to monitor mobile and internet users.

According to Open Sanctions, the Lebedev Institute of Precision Mechanics and Computer Engineering is subject to Western sanctions. It is described as holding a license administered by the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, as well as a license administered by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).

The Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade license covers the "development, production, testing, installation, maintenance, disposal and sale of weapons and military equipment," while the FSB license is issued to IT companies that develop encryption and cryptography technology, information systems and telecommunication systems for the Russian intelligence services, as well as IT companies that develop personal database management systems for the Russian security services, the website states.

Quote:Russia deployed autonomous launchers of the RS-24 Yars, an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that can be armed with nuclear warheads, on combat patrol routes on February 19, according to a Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation Telegram.

Why It Matters

The deployment of the launchers of the Yars ICBM during exercises indicates that Russia could further escalate the conflict with Ukraine, undermining recent peace talks held with the U.S.

Further, the Kremlin has the world's largest nuclear weapons arsenal, just ahead of the U.S., and its use of ICBMs—which are strategic nuclear weapons—could enact more damage than non-nuclear missiles, taking out more territory.

What To Know

The Russian defense ministry wrote that "in the Novosibirsk missile formation, autonomous launchers of the Yars PGRK have been deployed on combat patrol routes," and that crews "march up to 100 kilometers [62 miles], disperse the units with a change of field positions, their engineering equipment and security" and "solve issues of countering sabotage and reconnaissance groups."

The defense ministry added that "as part of maneuver actions, missile units and subdivisions practice tasks of dispersing in a forest area in order to increase the stealth of the Yars PGRK units."

The RS-24 Yars is a strategic nuclear missile designed to carry numerous re-entry vehicles that can be sent to various targets and several nuclear warheads. The ICBM can be mounted on truck carriers or deployed in silos. Russian media has previously described the missile as a variation of Moscow's Topol-M missile.

The Yars ICBM is reported to have a range of approximately 11,000 to 12,000 kilometers and is able to carry up to four multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) warheads, each with a yield of around 500 kilotons.

This is not the first time the Russian forces have deployed the Yars during training exercises, as the missile has been loaded into silos at the Kozelsk missile base in the Kaluga region southwest of the capital on numerous occasions in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Quote:Unidentified drones swarmed over the Khmeimim air base in northwestern Syria and air defense systems were activated in response, according to the independent Russian outlet ASTRA Press.
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Why It Matters
If the new Syrian government, led by the new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, the head of the Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham [HTS], is behind the drone attack at the air base, it could sour their relations with Russia. These were already likely to be complex due to Moscow's previously close relationship with former leader Bashar al-Assad. The Russian government met with Syrian officials in late January to discuss future relations and Moscow's request to retain its military bases.

What To Know

Oleg Blokhin, a Russian military blogger, wrote on Telegram that "At 2:30 local time, a combat alert was declared. It was designated as 'attack by a ground enemy.'" He added: "Almost immediately, the 'Pantsir' was activated. Shooting and explosions were heard." The "Pantsir" is in reference to the Pantsir-S1 surface-to-air missile system, an advanced Russian air defense system.

Blokhin said: "By 3:30, the intensity of the shooting had died down, although it was still ongoing." Newsweek has yet to verify who was involved.

Sabereen News, an Iraqi news outlet, posted on Telegram: "Anti-aircraft guns inside Hmeimim Airport in Syria, which is controlled by Russian forces, confront unidentified drones flying over the Russian base."

Russia retreated from the Khmeimim air base following the ousting of former Syrian President Assad's regime by rebel groups in early December 2024.

Quote:Iran says it has smashed multiple espionage networks it alleged were working for the United States and Israel, marking Tehran's latest move against what it calls a vast web of foreign spies.

The arrests, carried out in Iran's northern Mazandaran province, come amid soaring tensions between Tehran and Washington, with Iranian officials vowing harsh consequences for foreign interference.
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Iran frequently accuses foreign intelligence agencies of attempting to infiltrate its security infrastructure, often launching sweeping crackdowns on suspected spies.
The latest arrests reflect Tehran's ongoing battle against alleged operatives, though Iranian authorities have yet to provide evidence of the claims. These accusations also come at a time of heightened military and geopolitical tensions, with Iran threatening retaliation in the event of any strikes on its nuclear facilities.
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Siavash Moslemi, an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander in the Mazandaran province said that authorities had successfully disrupted intelligence operations allegedly linked to "U.S. intelligence, the Zionist regime, and other hostile countries."

Moslemi said the suspects entered Iran as foreign nationals or visitors, using trading companies, cultural organizations, and charities as cover to gather classified intelligence and establish infiltration networks. He added that the operation had "prevented security threats and potential crises" but did not specify the number of any arrests or provide proof of links to the U.S. or Israel.

British Nationals Charged with Espionage

The announcement followed news that two British nationals, Craig and Lindsay Foreman, had been charged with espionage. Iranian authorities alleged that the couple, arrested in Kerman in January, had been gathering intelligence across multiple provinces under the guise of tourism and research.

Additionally, IRGC intelligence forces in Ardabil detained an individual accused of ties to Israeli intelligence. The unnamed suspect was alleged to have spread anti-Islamic propaganda and threatened religious scholars via social media.

Quote:Iran's top military commander has said that any threat to its national security would have dire consequences for the entire region, according to state media.

The warning comes after the U.S. staged a major regional show of force this week, deploying B-52 bombers over nine countries in the Middle East in a strategic display of military strength.
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The flyover, a key element of the U.S. deterrence strategy, underscores Washington's military resolve amid rising tensions. With growing instability and threats from Iran and its proxies, including Hamas and Hezbollah, the U.S. seeks to reinforce its dominance and demonstrate its readiness.

What to Know

The bomber task force mission featured midair refueling and live munitions drops at designated target ranges "in several partner nations," according to CENTCOM. U.S. F-15s, along with fighter jets from four regional allies, escorted the B-52s throughout the operation.

Iran Threatens Region

On Wednesday, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri warned that, "our armed forces are at the peak of their readiness."

"In the case of any mistake by the enemy, the security of the Zionist regime and those who participated in its equipment and operational planning will be put in danger." He added. Over the past year, Iran twice fired massive barrages of missiles and drones at Israel, in a spillover from the its war in the Gaza Strip and the fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Tensions between Iran and U.S. ally Israel are high. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the weekend that, with U.S. President Donald Trump's support, his government would "finish the job" against Iran.

Trump has toughened sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, but said he would rather a deal that stops Tehran acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran has formally rejected nuclear weapons. However, it has continued to advance its nuclear program, accelerating the enrichment of uranium to up to 60 percent purity. Israel is widely believed to have nuclear weapons.