Trump News for Thursday, February 19, 2026

International attorney Ann Olivarius breaks down potential criminal pathways, jurisdictional hurdles and investigative next steps.

The Chamber of Deputies is weighing a labour bill that would increase work hours, cut severance pay and ease firing.

US lawmakers call on the Trump administration to pursue justice for victims, as UN expert urges probes across the world.

The amount of military forces gathering near Iran dwarfs even the monthslong build-up before the U.S. coup in Venezuela. The post Trump Menaces Iran With Massive Armada Capable of Prolonged War appeared first on The Intercept.

Pressed by ABC News' Karen Travers, President Trump repeated Thursday that “really bad things” would happen to Iran if its leaders don’t make a nuclear deal.

Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest on Thursday follows the emergence of documents detailing communication between the former prince and the late convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.

A federal judge in Minnesota held a Trump administration attorney in civil contempt for “flagrant disobedience of court orders” in the case of a noncitizen swept up in the immigration crackdown there earlier this year.

JD Vance has criticized Eileen Gu for competing as a Chinese athlete at the 2026 Winter Olympics despite being born in the US, sparking severe backlash against her.

Lara Trump recently claimed the president already has a speech prepared on UFOs.

The US military is in the midst of its largest build-up of forces in the Middle East in decades, in preparation for some sort of military action in Iran. Military officials say strikes could come as early as this weekend and some US personnel are being evacua…

"If only the Trump administration took these crimes as seriously as the U.K."View Entire Post ›

The president who promised an end to military misadventures in the Middle East sure looks ready to embark on a military misadventure in the Middle East.

Trump announced his plans to close the Kennedy Center entirely for two years "for Construction, Revitalization, and Complete Rebuilding." The announcement came after many prominent artists canceled existing scheduled appearances.

The Trump administration said Thursday its campaign to end diversity programs in higher education has led dozens of universities to cut ties with an...

Eileen Gu is the most decorated female Olympic freestyle skier in history, and a global superstar, but continues to divide opinion.

The US trade deficit deteriorated even though President Trump unleashed a barrage of tariffs to close trade imbalances.

The Executive Branch has a reported membership list that includes Trumpworld elites like David Sacks. A WIRED review of corporate filings reveals an under-the-radar player: a notorious former DC police officer.

Opponents warned the policy’s vagueness could push professors to self-censor and leave students less prepared for the workplace.

The U.S. has carried out a major military buildup in the Middle East.

Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in downtown Washington, DC, outside Donald Trump’s Board of Peace event.

Six nominees for WGA Awards in the Comedy/Variety Series – Talk or Sketch category grappled Wednesday night with one of the great riddles of our age: Is Donald Trump actually funny? Opinions on the topic – one of many covered in a multi-faceted, 90-minute dis…

"Board of Peace" convenes after decades of inaction on Palestinian demands to end the Israeli occupation.

Nicki Minaj’s striking new look at a Trump-backed forum has set social media abuzz, drawing strong reactions from fans and critics alike.

Wants SLAs, revamped contracts for cloud ops The US Congress’ spending watchdog, the Government Accountability Office, has pressed the National Science Foundation’s CIO to improve how the agency plans, manages, and procures technology.…

US President Donald Trump announces pledges to a Gaza reconstruction fund during first meeting of his Board of Peace.

Earlier this month, the FBI decided it was going to help Donald Trump steal back the election he’s claimed for half-a-decade was stolen from him. The state whose Secretary of State was asked directly by the outgoing president in January 2021 to “find 11,780 v…

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos says President Donald Trump has spoken about wanting to bring jobs back to Hollywood after years of lower production.

"When this loser Springsteen comes back home to his own City of Ruins in his head, he’ll realize his Glory Days are behind him," spokesperson Steven Cheung insisted

A proposed one-time 5% tax on billionaires in California is causing division between prominent national Democratic Party figures as the party seeks a unifying message ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Trump on Thursday said "bad things will happen" to Iran if the country does not make a deal regarding nuclear enrichment at the inaugural meeting for the Board of Peace.

King Charles III attended a show at London Fashion Week after his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

The Trump administration is sending more troops to a region where U.S. military presence has coincided with increased violence. The post More U.S. Troops Are Headed to Nigeria appeared first on The Intercept.

"We have to get this right. There is no 'Plan B' for Gaza," the secretary of state said.

The online portal is set be hosted at Freedom.gov.

US president says at inaugural Board of Peace summit that Washington and Tehran should make a 'meaningful deal'.

Donald Trump praised the “magnificent” B-2 bombers that “totally decimated the nuclear potential” of Iran.

Donald Trump revisited his January compliment to Nicki Minaj during Black History Month event on Wednesday, leading netizens to call him cringe.

The Second Lady asked that instead of sending baby gifts, people donate diapers to needy families. If only we had a government that could pass policies to assist families in need...

The National Park Service (NPS) has announced that visitors to three of the most popular national parks in the United States will no longer need to make reservations to enter in 2026. The move is a dramatic shift in how the NPS handles over-visitation and ove…

The move is another Trump administration effort to limit legal pathways to migration or resettlement, after already curbing the number of admitted refugees and re-reviewing those admitted under the Biden administration.

The efforts to whitewash history call for a new approach to memorializing Black history.

Led by US President Donald Trump, the “Board of Peace” convened for its first meeting to discuss Gaza reconstruction.

CIO says sweeping reorg followed deep cuts as agency pushes cross-functional teams and AI Job cuts at the IRS's tech arm have gone faster and farther than expected, with 40 percent of IT staff and four-fifths of tech leaders gone, the agency's CIO revealed ye…

A second American aircraft carrier -- the USS Gerald R. Ford -- is heading toward the Middle East amid rising tensions with Iran, accompanied by destroyers and aircraft.

Rush is on to influence candidates from both parties ahead of midterms Meta is among tech giants reportedly funding US politicians friendly to the AI industry, as concerns mount over a huge expansion in datacenter building and the effects of AI on everyday li…

Rescue planes have taken almost two days to reach the site of a boat strike, making survivors a near impossibility. It's likely intentional.

Hello and welcome to Regulator, a newsletter for Verge subscribers about the love-hate (but mostly hate) relationship between Silicon Valley and Washington. I hope everyone got to celebrate George Washington's birthday in their preferred manner: skiing, stayc…

We’ve noted how Bari Weiss’ tenure at CBS (or what’s left of it) isn’t really going very well. Hired by Trump-allied billionaire Larry Ellison to turn what’s left of CBS into a right wing extraction class-friendly agitprop mill, Weiss has been accosted on all…

US President Trump will host the inaugural meeting of his so-called 'Board of Peace' in Washington, DC today.

A new book buries the Obama-era idea that small shifts in personal behavior can greatly improve the world.

Two exhibitions in Los Angeles respond to the racist monuments to Confederate soldiers that have been erected all over the United States.

What Bernie Sanders brought to the job of mayor of Burlington and what he did with it help explain what matters to him and how he fits into American political argument.

Indigenous communities in Mexico who oppose the construction of megaprojects on their lands do so at great risk.

Justice Anthony Kennedy often confounded Supreme Court observers with his seemingly unpredictable opinions, but during the years when a majority could be achieved only through some measure of compromise, he wielded enormous power over the Constitution’s conte…

Canadians are staying away from their usual snowbird destinations, with many opting for domestic trips, or looking towards Mexico, and the Caribbean.

A year on from the federal layoffs, Jay Gulledge, 59, said that while he has landed on his feet, he feels for other USAID workers who haven't.

A nation that wants to forget its past must be reminded of all of it.

My morning train WFH reads: • The grift economy is going mainstream Scams and grift have evolved from fringe activity into normalized economic behavior, marking a fundamental shift in how cons operate in plain sight. (Your Brain on Money) • Detroit Automakers…

AZAPAC's Michael Rectenwald wants to fight pro-Israel interests in politics. To do that, he's courted Nick Fuentes and endorsed white nationalist candidates. The post A New PAC Wants to Counter Israel’s Influence. It Also Welcomes Hitler Apologists. appeared …

Former Prince Andrew is under arrest by police in England following news of his longtime friendship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The disgraced ex-Royal, who now goes by the name Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was apprehended by Thames…

Trump's tariffs, Greenland and defence spending are testing US-Europe alliance.

The former Prince Andrew was arrested on Thursday in connection with his ties to Epstein. Imagine that!

Satellite images reveal Iran fortifying its Parchin military complex against aerial strikes.

Trump and Nigeria appeared headed for a clash over bogus claims of a Christian massacre. Now the US is helping Nigeria.

Iran and the United States leaned into gunboat diplomacy Thursday, with Tehran holding drills with Russia and the Americans bringing another aircraft carrier closer to the Mideast.

President Donald Trump will gather Thursday with representatives from more than two dozen countries that have joined his Board of Peace, for a meeting that will focus on the reconstruction of Gaza.

Analysts say Trump will seek to show Gaza progress at controversial board meet, but pressure on Israel needed for gains.

Kim hails nuclear-capable weapons as 'wonderful' and 'attractive' as N Korea gears up for a once-in-five-year congress.

Environmental group says FBI is visiting activists' homes as Trump administration rolls back pollution protections.

Dr. Vinay Prasad is currently the FDA’s top vaccine regulator. He’s also one of many medical goons hand-picked by RFK Jr. to help lead his decidedly anti-vaxxer movement. In fact, the last time we discussed Prasad, it was over his selective censorship attempt…

Donald Trump is trying to chip away at the integrity of the voting process ahead of the November midterms because he knows Republicans will not fare well...

Petro said he had invited Rodriguez to meet in the border city of Cucuta to discuss energy cooperation.

The US Environmental Protection Agency rescinded the climate change finding as part of a push to slash regulation.

The decision came as US President Donald Trump ramps up military presence in the Middle East as tensions mount with Iran.

A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed portions of the Justice Department’s antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation, but will allow other claims to proceed to trial next month. The Justice Department and 39 states sued Live Nation in 2024, with claims that comp…

The correspondents and producers who work at CBS News’ “60 Minutes” will soon leave the newsmagazine’s longtime New York offices as part of a consolidation of real estate occupied by some of Paramount Skydance’s best-known properties. “60 Minutes,” CBS Sports…

If confirmed by the US Senate, Jim O'Neill would be the first non-scientist or engineer to lead the agency, a big funder of US basic research.