World News

• Hillary Clinton testifies she never met Epstein, accuses GOP of "cover-up" - Axios

  1. Hillary Clinton testifies she never met Epstein, accuses GOP of "cover-up"  Axios
  2. Why the Clintons’ ordeal might end up backfiring on Trump  CNN
  3. Bill Clinton to face lawmakers in Epstein probe for rare testimony by a former president  NBC News
  4. Hillary Clinton deposition paused over leaked photo  PBS
  5. What the Epstein drama reveals about Democrats' loyalty to the Clintons  USA Today

• US military used laser to take down Border Protection drone, lawmakers say - AP News

  1. US military used laser to take down Border Protection drone, lawmakers say  AP News
  2. Pentagon Fires Another Laser at Drone, Prompting New Air Closure - The New York Times  The New York Times
  3. Texas airspace closed after military reportedly downs US drone on accident  The Guardian
  4. Pentagon shoots down US Customs and Border Protection drone with laser system, lawmakers say  CNN
  5. Texas airspace shut after Pentagon shoots down border patrol drone  Axios

• ICE releases Columbia student after Mamdani asks Trump for help - The Washington Post

  1. ICE releases Columbia student after Mamdani asks Trump for help  The Washington Post
  2. Columbia Student Is Released From ICE After Mamdani-Trump Meeting - The New York Times  The New York Times
  3. Ellie Aghayeva: What we know about the Columbia student’s detention by ICE agents  CNN
  4. Detained Columbia student released after Mamdani talks with Trump  The Guardian
  5. Columbia University says US immigration agents lied to detain student  Al Jazeera

• Google Workers Seek ‘Red Lines’ on Military A.I., Echoing Anthropic - The New York Times - The New York Times

  1. Google Workers Seek ‘Red Lines’ on Military A.I., Echoing Anthropic - The New York Times  The New York Times
  2. The clock is ticking down on a critical Pentagon deadline for Anthropic  CNN
  3. Opinion | What Both Anthropic and the Pentagon Get Wrong - The New York Times  The New York Times
  4. ‘Incoherent’: Hegseth’s Anthropic ultimatum confounds AI policymakers  Politico
  5. Exclusive: Anthropic Drops Flagship Safety Pledge  Time Magazine

• 2 men on boat fired on off Cuban coast were from Tampa - Tampa Bay Times

  1. 2 men on boat fired on off Cuban coast were from Tampa  Tampa Bay Times
  2. After a Speedboat Shootout in Cuba, There are More Questions Than Answers - The New York Times  The New York Times
  3. What we know about men reportedly involved in deadly shootout with Cuban forces  NBC 6 South Florida
  4. Scoop: US citizens were on stolen boat in deadly shooting with Cuba's coast guard  Axios
  5. American among those killed on speedboat in Cuban waters, White House confirms  CBS News

• U.S., Iran complete round of talks as Trump weighs diplomacy against strikes - The Washington Post

  1. U.S., Iran complete round of talks as Trump weighs diplomacy against strikes  The Washington Post
  2. U.S. and Iran wrap up 'most intense' nuclear talks with no deal — more negotiations ahead  CNBC
  3. Bloomberg Daybreak: New Iran Talks Set for Next Week  Bloomberg.com
  4. U.S.-Iran nuclear talks were "positive," senior U.S. official says  Axios
  5. Headlines for February 26, 2026  Democracy Now!

• Mamdani meets Trump at White House, seeks administration’s help on Mahmoud Khalil - The Times of Israel

  1. Mamdani meets Trump at White House, seeks administration’s help on Mahmoud Khalil  The Times of Israel
  2. Mamdani and Trump talk housing in Oval Office meeting  Gothamist
  3. Mamdani’s Gift for Trump: A Front Page Celebrating the President  The New York Times
  4. Mamdani gifts Trump fake front page to cajole him into supercharging NYC housing development  Politico
  5. Zohran Mamdani thanks Trump for NYC shoveling program comments made at State of the Union address  ABC7 New York

• Trump's State of the Union address draws 32.6 million viewers, marking smallest audience yet - Los Angeles Times

  1. Trump's State of the Union address draws 32.6 million viewers, marking smallest audience yet  Los Angeles Times
  2. Trump doesn’t give Congress much to do before the midterms  Politico
  3. The New York Times News Quiz, Feb. 27, 2026  The New York Times
  4. After State of the Union, Trump’s agenda faces new political reality  Al Jazeera
  5. Amid Trump's touting of a 'golden age of America,' gory details abound  NBC News

• ‘ICE will comply’: Top Minnesota judge threatens criminal contempt for continued defiance - Politico

  1. ‘ICE will comply’: Top Minnesota judge threatens criminal contempt for continued defiance  Politico
  2. Federal Judge Accuses Trump Administration of Repeatedly Disobeying Orders - The New York Times  The New York Times
  3. Two federal judges rebuke Minnesota U.S. Attorney after ICE fails to follow court orders  MPR News
  4. A chief judge warns Minnesota’s top prosecutor and ICE: Obey court orders or face contempt  Yahoo
  5. Chief federal judge skewers U.S. Attorney’s Office, raises threat of criminal contempt over violations  Star Tribune

• What Kind of Person Would Kidnap an 84-Year-Old Woman? - Vulture

  1. What Kind of Person Would Kidnap an 84-Year-Old Woman?  Vulture
  2. Nancy Guthrie's Neighbor Recalls Eerie Activity Near 84-Year-Old's Home  Realtor.com
  3. How could the kidnapper(s) have gotten in Nancy Guthrie’s home?  NewsNation
  4. Nancy Guthrie's neighbor saw suspicious man walking nearby 2 weeks before suspected abduction  Fox News
  5. New Ring video shows car near Nancy Guthrie's home on morning of abduction  KVOA

• Trump administration enacts 6-month moratorium on Minnesota Medicaid payments - The Hill

  1. Trump administration enacts 6-month moratorium on Minnesota Medicaid payments  The Hill
  2. Federal Medicaid funding freeze ‘totally illegal and unprecedented,’ Walz says  MPR News
  3. Vance launches into Trump's 'war on fraud' by suspending Medicaid payments to Minnesota  NBC News
  4. Trump Administration Withholds $259 Million in Medicaid Funds From Minnesota - The New York Times  The New York Times
  5. Opinion | Vance Tightens the Fraud Spigot  WSJ

• Vance Continues to Criticize Democrats’ Attitude During State of the Union - The New York Times - The New York Times

  1. Vance Continues to Criticize Democrats’ Attitude During State of the Union - The New York Times  The New York Times
  2. Protesters gather in Plover ahead of VP Vance visit  WSAW
  3. In Wisconsin, Vance echoes State of the Union message, endorses Van Orden  WLUK
  4. Vice President Vance Delivers Remarks in Plover, WI  C-SPAN
  5. Wisconsin democrats comment on Vance’s visit to Plover  WEAU

• US military builds up the largest force of warships and aircraft in the Middle East in decades - AP News

  1. US military builds up the largest force of warships and aircraft in the Middle East in decades  AP News
  2. Trump’s Iran options seemed vast with the US buildup but are fast narrowing  CNN
  3. Bombing Iran May Blow Up Trump’s Middle East Plans  Bloomberg.com
  4. Trump Iranian missile claim unsupported by U.S. intelligence, say sources  Reuters
  5. Why Iran Will Escalate: U.S. Military Strikes and the Risk of a Quagmire  Foreign Affairs

• 'Nearly blind' refugee found dead after being released by Border Patrol in New York - NBC News

  1. 'Nearly blind' refugee found dead after being released by Border Patrol in New York  NBC News
  2. Blind refugee abandoned by Border Patrol dies in Buffalo.  Investigative Post
  3. Nearly blind refugee found dead in New York days after immigration agents dropped him at a coffee shop alone, officials say  CNN
  4. Congressman Kennedy calls for investigation after missing man found dead on Perry Street  wivb.com
  5. Buffalo probes death of a nearly blind Myanmar refugee dropped at a doughnut shop  13wham.com

• Trump, seeking executive power over elections, is urged to declare emergency - The Washington Post

  1. Trump, seeking executive power over elections, is urged to declare emergency  The Washington Post
  2. Read the laughable legal memo behind the claim that Trump can declare a national voting emergency  Democracy Docket
  3. Pro-Trump lawyers push president to declare emergency to overhaul voting: reports  The Independent
  4. Trump could declare national emergency over ‘Chinese election interference’  The Telegraph
  5. Draft Order to Declare National Emergency on Elections Circulating Trump Allies  Truthout

• Acting head of the nation’s cyber agency reassigned amid rising congressional scrutiny - Politico

  1. Acting head of the nation’s cyber agency reassigned amid rising congressional scrutiny  Politico
  2. US cybersecurity agency to get new acting director  ABC News
  3. CISA CIO expected to leave agency after receiving transfer orders  Nextgov/FCW
  4. Across party lines and industry, the verdict is the same: CISA is in trouble  CyberScoop
  5. US cybersecurity agency CISA reportedly in dire shape amid Trump cuts and layoffs  TechCrunch

• Meet the toymaker who helped take down Trump’s tariffs - vox.com

  1. Meet the toymaker who helped take down Trump’s tariffs  vox.com
  2. Democrats are demanding $1,700 in tariff refunds for Americans  Axios
  3. While Trump talks tough on tariffs, his administration is scrambling to keep trade deals intact  Politico
  4. America’s trade chaos is just beginning  The Economist
  5. Trump administration faces first big tariff refund court deadline on Friday  CNBC

• Trump's surgeon general pick questioned birth control. Here's why women take it - Axios

  1. Trump's surgeon general pick questioned birth control. Here's why women take it  Axios
  2. Takeaways from surgeon general nominee Casey Means’ Senate confirmation hearing  CNN
  3. Casey Means, Critic of Mainstream Medicine, Poised to Become Nation’s Top Doctor  The New York Times
  4. WATCH: Markey asks Dr. Means if Trump's order promoting glyphosate production puts health at risk  PBS
  5. Trump’s surgeon general pick, Casey Means, still lacks votes for confirmation  Politico

• Manhattan DA drops assault charge in Washington Square Park snowball fight - Gothamist

  1. Manhattan DA drops assault charge in Washington Square Park snowball fight  Gothamist
  2. NYPD snowball fight: One man arraigned on charges after snowball fight that injured NYPD officers in Washington Square Park  ABC7 New York
  3. Zohran Mamdani and NYC police are at odds after two officers were injured in a snowball fight  CNN
  4. Man arrested for 'assaulting' cops in snowball incident amid rift between Mayor Zohran Mamdani, NYPD  ABC News
  5. Mamdani Faces Flurry of Criticism From Police Over Snowball Fight  WSJ

• Trump’s ballroom project can continue for now, court says - NPR

  1. Trump’s ballroom project can continue for now, court says  NPR
  2. Judge rejects request to block Trump White House from building its $400 million ballroom project  NBC News
  3. Judge Declines to Halt Construction on Trump’s East Wing Ballroom Project - The New York Times  The New York Times
  4. Judge rules Trump’s White House ballroom can continue, for now  The Washington Post
  5. Judge lets White House ballroom project continue; preservation group to bring new challenge  CNN