National and international media news & headlines compiled by CLG

Trump ‘identifies date for strike on Iran’ as world’s largest aircraft carrier heads to the Middle East –The U.S. and Israel would also launch the operation in a military joint effort. | 18 Feb 2026 | Donald Trump could make a decision on military strikes in Iran soon, with the U.S. military ready to potentially launch an attack by this weekend. American military assets have been built up in the Middle East in recent days ahead of a possible strike, CNN reported. “He is spending a lot of time thinking about this,” a source told the network, adding that Trump has found himself arguing both in favor of and against the military action. Earlier Wednesday, it was revealed the president is on the verge of green-lighting a “massive, weeks-long” military campaign against Iran that would be seen as all out war. Diplomatic negotiations led by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly made little progress on Tuesday after Tehran refused to meet Trump’s demand to halt all nuclear development, according to JD Vance. Sources tell Axios the campaign would have a broader regime-change objective against the Ayatollah. The U.S. and Israel would also launch the operation in a military joint effort.

Trump’s Board of Peace rallies ‘thousands’ of troops for Gaza deployment –The U.S. president has claimed that member states also committed 5 billion to the “humanitarian” initiative | 16 Feb 2026 | U.S. President Donald Trump has said that members of his newly formed Board of Peace have pledged “thousands of personnel” and billions of dollars to a potential international stabilization force that will be tasked with administering Gaza. In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump said countries participating in the initiative would formalize their commitments at a February 19 meeting in Washington, describing the deployment as part of efforts to maintain “security and peace” in the Palestinian enclave. “Member States have pledged more than 5 BILLION D-LLARS toward the Gaza Humanitarian and Reconstruction efforts, and have committed thousands of personnel to the International Stabilization Force and Local Police,” he wrote… “Our troops are fully prepared and can be dispatched at short notice once the government gives formal approval,” Army spokesman Brig. Gen. Donny Pramono told AP on Sunday.

U.S. military preparing for potentially weeks-long Iran operations | 15 Feb 2026 | The U.S. military is preparing for the possibility of sustained, weeks-long operations against Iran if President Donald Trump orders an attack, two U.S. officials told Reuters, in what could become a far more serious conflict than previously seen between the countries. The disclosure by the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the planning, raises the stakes for the diplomacy underway between the United States and Iran. Meanwhile, Trump has amassed military forces in the region, raising fears of new military action. U.S. officials said on Friday the Pentagon was sending an aircraft carrier to the Middle East, adding thousands more troops along with fighter aircraft, guided-missile destroyers and other firepower capable of waging attacks and defending against them.

Iran says potential energy, mining and aircraft deals on table in talks with U.S. | 15 Feb 2026 | Iran is pursuing a nuclear agreement with the U.S. that delivers economic benefits for both sides, an Iranian diplomat was reported as saying on Sunday, days before a second round of talks between Tehran and Washington. Iran and the U.S. renewed negotiations earlier this month to tackle their decades-long dispute over Tehran’s nuclear programme and avert a new military confrontation. The U.S. has dispatched a second aircraft carrier to the region and is preparing for the possibility of a sustained military campaign if the talks do not succeed, U.S. officials have told Reuters. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking at a news conference in Bratislava, said President Donald Trump had made it clear that he would prefer diplomacy and a negotiated settlement, while making clear that may not happen.

Iran open to compromise on nuclear deal if U.S. lifts sanctions, senior official says | 15 Feb 2026 | Iran is prepared to consider compromises in order to reach a nuclear agreement with the United States, provided that Washington is willing to discuss lifting sanctions, a senior Iranian official told the BBC. In an interview from Tehran, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, said that the ball was “in America’s court to prove that they want to do a deal. If they are sincere, I’m sure we will be on the road to an agreement.” He confirmed that a second round of talks, following an initial meeting in Oman, is scheduled to take place Tuesday in Geneva. So far, he said, the discussions have been “more or less in a positive direction but it is too early to judge.”

Tucker Carlson ‘detained’ in Israel: Journalist ‘dragged into interrogation room’ after interview with Trump’s ambassador | 18 Feb 2026 | Conservative podcasting titan Tucker Carlson said he and his staff were detained in Israel on Wednesday following an interview with Donald Trump’s ambassador to the country. The former Fox News host flew into Tel Aviv for a sit-down with Mike Huckabee, who challenged Carlson to speak to him directly following an online spat about the country’s treatment of Christians. As critics began piling on Carlson for purportedly not leaving the airport during his brief visit, he revealed that he was met with hostility in the Middle Eastern country. Carlson told the Daily Mail that shortly after the interview, Israeli officials confiscated his passport and hauled off his executive producer to an interrogation room. “Men who identified themselves as airport security took our passports, hauled our executive producer into a side room and then demanded to know what we spoke to Ambassador Huckabee about,” Carlson told the Daily Mail. “It was bizarre. We’re now out of the country.”

Israel approves major land grab in West Bank | 15 Feb 2026 | The Israeli security cabinet has approved a proposal to register large areas in the West Bank as “state property” for the first time since occupation began in 1967 following the Six-Day War. The new decision builds on a move by the cabinet last weekend, when it made it easier for Jewish settlers to buy land in the West Bank and repealed a law dating back to times of Jordanian control over the area to make land registries public rather than private… The Israeli government has long been pushing to annex the West Bank despite international condemnation and opposition of its main ally, the U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly spoken against the move, insisting that the annexation “is not going to happen.”

Kiev on the brink of catastrophe – mayor –Ukraine’s future is uncertain amid massive blackouts, with Vladimir Zelensky’s actions complicating the situation, Vitaly Klitschko has said | 15 Feb 2026 | Kiev is teetering on the brink of catastrophe amid large-scale power outages, Mayor Vitaly Klitschko has told the Financial Times. He also accused Vladimir Zelensky of hampering the city’s efforts to mitigate the dire situation. In recent weeks, the Russian military has intensified drone and missile strikes targeting Ukraine’s power grid, which Moscow says are aimed at undercutting weapons production. Russia has stated that the strikes are retaliation for Kiev’s attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure. The situation in Kiev and several other Ukrainian cities has been further compounded by severe cold weather.

Full list of hundreds of celebrities and politicians in Pam Bondi’s Epstein files letter | 15 Feb 2026 | All of the Epstein files have been released, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi. Millions of emails, photos, and documents relating to the harrowing case against predator Jeffrey Epstein have been made publicly available, Bondi said. A definitive list of 305 high-profile individuals, including celebrities and politicians, have been published by the Department of Justice as part of Bondi’s required update sent to Congress on February 14. Being named in the Epstein files does not assume any guilt or wrongdoing to Epstein’s heinous child sex crimes. While many of the names on the new list have long been associated with Epstein, this is the first time a definitive long list has been shared by Bondi and the administration. It includes singers, actors, businessmen and entrepreneurs, dead and alive, who were mentioned in the files at least once.

Trump Reportedly Called Police About ‘Disgusting’ Epstein in 2006, Decried Ghislaine Maxwell as ‘Evil’ | 10 Feb 2026 | President Donald Trump dismissed sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as “disgusting” and decried his procurer, Ghislaine Maxwell as “evil” back in 2006, a now-retired cop informed FBI agents in 2019. The revelation is contained in a newly unsealed court document released Monday by the Department of Justice. CNBC reports Trump personally called the then-Palm Beach Police Chief Michael Reiter “to tell him ‘thank goodness you’ [are] stopping [Epstein], everyone has known he’s been doing this,” Reiter told the FBI in October 2019, according to the FBI document, known as a 302. The document stated whistleblower Trump “was one of the very first people to call” the police when word spread Epstein was under investigation.

U.S. Justice Department issues new ‘Russiagate’ subpoenas – AP | 18 Feb 2026 | The U.S. Department of Justice has reportedly issued a fresh round of subpoenas, as it continues to investigate the campaign by President Donald Trump’s opponents to undermine his 2016 victory with claims of “Russian interference.” The move was reported by the Associated Press on Wednesday, citing anonymous sources within the Justice Department. According to these sources, the department is seeking documents compiled since January 2017, when U.S. intelligence agencies issued a statement alleging that Russia conspired with the Trump campaign to defeat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. It is unclear whether the subpoenas will lead to any criminal charges.

213 House Democrats vote against voter ID, proof of citizenship in elections | 11 Feb 2026 | The House of Representatives passed a massive election integrity overhaul bill on Wednesday despite opposition from the vast majority of Democrats. The House passed Rep. Chip Roy’s SAVE America Act, legislation that’s aimed at keeping non-citizens from voting in U.S. federal elections. All but one House Democrat — Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas — voted against the bill. It passed 218 to 213. It is an updated version of the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, also led by Roy, R-Texas, which passed the House in April 2025 but was never taken up [by the useless eaters] in the Senate. Whereas the SAVE Act would create a new federal proof of citizenship mandate in the voter registration process and impose requirements for states to keep their rolls clear of ineligible voters, the updated bill would also require photo ID to vote in any federal elections.

Steve Hilton’s CAL DOGE claims $370M California state funds went to Dems’ ‘voter machines’ –CAL DOGE alleged funds were “funneled to [the] voter mobilization machine for California Democrats.” | 12 Feb 2026 | California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton has claimed 370 million in state funds meant for substance abuse programs instead went to helping the Democrats. The staggering sum, sourced from the California Cannabis Tax Fund, was sent to a tangled web of organizations that “build the Democrat voter base,” Hilton’s unofficial CAL DOGE alleged… The m-ney was controlled by Elevate Youth California, which was supposed to send taxes raised from cannabis sales under Prop 64 to support substance abuse programs in the state. But those that received the sum instead included Young Invincibles and the Jakara Movement, nonprofits in LA and Fresno that misused the grants, according to the investigation.

Jay Bhattacharya to become acting CDC director | 18 Feb 2026 | National Institutes of Health head Dr. Jay Bhattacharya will serve as acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the White House told Politico. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ousted CDC Director Jim O’Neill last week as part of a large-scale shakeup at HHS. President Donald Trump plans to name O’Neill as head of the National Science Foundation. Bhattacharya rose to prominence as a critic of COVID-19 mask mandates and lockdowns. Trump tapped him to lead the NIH in 2025.

Moderna says FDA reversing course, will review mRNA flu shot | 18 Feb 2026 | Moderna said Wednesday that the Food and Drug Administration is reversing course, and will now review the company’s mRNA flu shot. The reversal comes after Moderna said last week that the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research told the company that it would not initiate a review of the investigational mRNA vaccine. Moderna then requested a Type A meeting with the FDA, which is a high-priority discussion, to “understand” a path forward. CBER Director Vinayak Prasad said in a letter that the refusal was because Moderna chose a standard-dose seasonal flu vaccine that has already been licensed as a comparison, according to the company. He cited the lack of an “adequate and well-controlled” study with a comparison that “does not reflect the best-available standard of care.”

Rhode Island hockey shooter ID’d as transgender father Robert Dorgan | 16 Feb 2026 | Police identified the gunman who killed two people and critically injured three others at a high school hockey game in Rhode Island on Monday afternoon as Robert Dorgan and revealed he went by a female name. The 56-year-old father, who shot family members and a family friend before he turned the gun on himself following the deadly rampage at the Pawtucket ice rink, used the alias Roberta Esposito, Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said during a press conference Monday night. “We have identified the person, the suspect, by a birth name, the birth name was Robert Dorgan,” Goncalves said. “We have also learned that the person does go by the name of Roberta, also uses a last name of Esposito.”

Transgender ex-student identified as alleged suspect in Canada school mass shooting that left at least 9 dead | 11 Feb 2026 | At least nine people were killed in connection to a mass shooting Tuesday at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia, officials said Wednesday. Police identified the suspect, reportedly also found dead, as an 18-year-old transgender woman [sic] who allegedly killed two of their family members at home before opening fire at the school. The Tumbler Ridge Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) confirmed to Fox News Digital that officers responded to reports of an active shooter at the school at 1:20 p.m. local time Tuesday. While searching the school, officers found six victims dead from gunshot wounds and the alleged shooter, identified as 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted injury. Authorities said Van Rootselaar had attended the school before dropping out roughly four years ago. Van Rootselaar, who identified as female but was assigned male at birth, began transitioning six years ago.

Trump admin ends major loophole tied to fatal wrecks involving illegal alien truckers –Reform formally codifies the policy into federal regulations | 12 Feb 2026 | The Department of Transportation (DOT) announced Wednesday that it has officially closed a major loophole that allowed unqualified drivers, including illegal immigrants, to operate commercial trucks, following several fatal crashes last year involving non-domiciled drivers. “For far too long, America has allowed dangerous foreign drivers to abuse our truck licensing systems — wreaking havoc on our roadways. This safety loophole ends today,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said. “Moving forward, unqualified foreign drivers will be unable to get a license to operate an 80,000-pound big rig.” Officials said foreigners who hold only a work permit will no longer be able to obtain a commercial trucking license, as Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) do not provide information about a driver’s previous traffic violations, accidents or license suspensions in other countries.

U.S. airlines told to stop DEI-hiring pilots | 15 Feb 2026 | The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a sweeping mandate requiring all commercial airlines to formally commit to merit-based hiring for pilots, explicitly barring the use of race or sex as factors in recruitment. The directive, delivered via a new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Operations Specification (OpSpec), demands that carriers certify they have terminated any diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices in pilot selection. Airlines that fail to comply face the threat of federal investigation. “When families board their aircraft, they should fly with confidence knowing the pilot behind the controls is the best of the best,” Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said in a statement on Friday. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford stressed that the rule is fundamentally about safety.

Judge orders Americans to pay to bring back alleged members of ‘foreign terrorist cartel’ to U.S. | 12 Feb 2026 | Alleged members of “foreign terrorist cartel” Tren de Aragua may be brought back to the U.S. after their deportations in 2025, and it could come at taxpayers’ expense. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who has repeatedly butted heads with the Trump administration, ordered the Trump administration Thursday to facilitate the return of 137 migrants deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador, CECOT, in 2025. Boasberg stipulated in his ruling that the government pay for the migrants’ airfare back to the U.S., meaning taxpayers are likely footing the bill. It is unclear how many of the men will actually take the offer and return to the U.S., with Boasberg noting that the noncitizens “would be detained upon arrival” back to the U.S.

Federal judge releases 4 illegal immigrants convicted of murder, sex crimes from ICE Custody –Judge John deGravelles freed four illegal immigrants despite final deportation orders dating back decades | 11 Feb 2026 | A federal judge in Louisiana has released four illegal immigrants with lengthy rap sheets that include convictions for murder and child sex crimes from law enforcement custody earlier this month. On Feb. 6, Judge John deGravelles, an Obama appointee who sits on the bench for the Middle District Court of Louisiana, granted the four defendants release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, the Department of Homeland Security said. “The ramifications will only be the continued rape, murder, assault, and robbery of more American victims,” said Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. The four defendants include Ibrahim Ali Mohammed, an Ethiopian citizen convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor. An immigration judge issued him a final order of removal on Sept, 5, 2024. He was released into the United States by the Biden administration.

Pair of Illegal Aliens Accused of Torturing, Sexually Assaulting Man in North Carolina Home Invasion | 17 Feb 2026 | A pair of illegal aliens, as well as a third suspect, are accused of breaking into the residence of a man in Pitt County, North Carolina, before torturing and sexually assaulting him. Over the week, 21-year-old illegal alien Zaid Mayen and 20-year-old illegal alien Jonathan David Garcia Larios were arrested by the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office and charged with first-degree burglary, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, first-degree kidnapping, and first-degree forcible sexual offense. This week, 22-year-old John Calderon was also arrested in connection with the home invasion. According to police, on Feb. 11, the three men allegedly broke into the victim’s home with the intention of assaulting him.