Trump News for Friday, February 27, 2026

Trump orders federal agencies to stop using Anthropic as dispute escalates

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

There has been a weeks-long feud between Pentagon and Anthropic over concerns about how military could use AI at war.

WATCH: Trump says he's 'not happy' with the way Iran is negotiating nuclear deal

ABC News, Abcnews.com

President Trump on Friday told reporters he's "not happy" with the way Iran is negotiating during nuclear talks with the U.S., but remained noncommittal on what will come next.

WATCH: New video of car emerges in Nancy Guthrie investigation

ABC News, Abcnews.com

The Pima County Sheriff's Department said video obtained by Fox News Digital is part of the investigation into the abduction of Nancy Guthrie, though it is unclear whether it is relevant to the case.

Hong Kong-linked company decries search of Panama Canal port offices

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The search of CK Hutchison's subsidiary marks the latest turn in rising US-China tensions over the vital trade canal.

Who runs Venezuela now? Trump, oil and the fight for power

Al Jazeera English

Mehdi Hasan debates ex-Venezuelan opposition envoy Vanessa Neumann on US regime change, oil and the fight for democracy.

Trump Orders Federal Agencies To Stop Using Anthropic AI Tech 'Immediately'

BeauHD, Slashdot.org

President Donald Trump has ordered all U.S. federal agencies to "immediately cease" using Anthropic's AI technology, escalating a standoff after the company sought limits on Pentagon use of its models. CNBC reports: The company, which in July signed a $200 mi…

Why is Trump objecting to al-Maliki’s comeback?

Al Jazeera English

The US has opposed the return of Nouri al-Maliki as Iraq's prime minister.

Netflix Just Avoided a Huge Headache

David Sims, The Atlantic

The streamer saved more than money by giving up on Warner Bros. Discovery.

The nuclear nightmare at the heart of the Trump-Anthropic fight

Joshua Keating, Vox

President Donald Trump ordered the entire federal government to stop using products from the AI company Anthropic on Friday to stop what he called a “radical left, woke company” from encroaching on the military’s decision-making.  The public feud between the …

Trump Threatens ‘Criminal Consequences’ for Anthropic Over AI Safety Guard Fight

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

The President said the AI startup is filled with "leftwing nut jobs."

Howard Lutnick scrutiny grows as new photo shows him with Epstein

Sara Braun, Yahoo Entertainment

Trump commerce secretary – who lived next door to Epstein in New York – urged to testify about extent of relationship

Trump orders federal agencies to drop Anthropic’s AI

Hayden Field, Richard Lawler, The Verge

On Friday afternoon, Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, accusing Anthropic, the AI company behind Claude, of attempting to "STRONG-ARM" the Pentagon and directing federal agencies to "IMMEDIATELY CEASE" use of its products. At issue is Anthropic CEO Dario A…

Hegseth says Pentagon canceling troops' attendance at top universities

Caitlin Yilek, CBS News

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday that the Pentagon would be canceling troops' attendance at some of the nation's top universities.

Trump suggests a ‘friendly takeover’ of Cuba amid US fuel blockade

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

The Republican leader, who has sought to expand US influence across Latin America, said of Cuba: 'They want our help.'

Trump Tells Feds to Stop Using Claude AI After Anthropic Stood by Surveillance Restrictions

Jon Reed, CNET

The Trump administration wanted the Department of Defense to be able to use Claude for "any lawful purpose."

Trump Threatens ‘Friendly’ Takeover of American Neighbor

The Daily Beast, Daily Beast

President Donald Trump has warned that he may launch a “friendly takeover” of Cuba, paving the way for yet another foreign intervention by the “America First...

Trump says US government will 'immediately cease' use of Anthropic AI

Selina Wang, Abcnews.com

The Pentagon set a 5:00 p.m. ET deadline for Anthropic to agree to a deal.

Trump orders federal agencies to stop using Anthropic's technology

Bryan Metzger, Business Insider

Trump's directive comes amid a dispute between the AI giant and the Department of Defense.

Glyphosate is driving a rift in MAHA. Here’s what the science says about its effects on health

Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American

The Trump administration wants to boost manufacturing of glyphosate, the world’s most common weed killer. Here’s what that could mean for health

Pentagon puts Scouts "on notice" over DEI and girl-centered policies

Graham Smith, NPR

After threatening to sever ties with the organization formerly known as the Boy Scouts, Defense Secretary Hegseth announced a 6-month reprieve

Whistleblower: ICE Has Slashed Its Training Program And Its Boss Is Lying To Congress About It

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

ICE can’t keep up with the baseline set by resident ghoul/White House advisor Stephen Miller. Miller has demanded 3,000 arrests per day, which he presented as the minimum he would be satisfied with. To reach this goal, tons of talent from other federal law en…

Trump's attempt to quickly axe a key affordable student-loan repayment plan gets shut down in court

Ayelet Sheffey, Business Insider

A court dismissed the Trump administration's proposed settlement to eliminate the SAVE student-loan repayment plan ahead of schedule.

The Undiplomatic Diplomats

Tom Nichols, The Atlantic

Some of the president’s ambassadors keep getting into needless conflicts abroad.

OpenAI says it shares Anthropic's 'red lines' over military AI use

Shannon Bond, NPR

OpenAI's Sam Altman says he shares the "red lines" set by rival Anthropic restricting how the military uses AI models, amid Anthropic's escalating feud with the Pentagon.

I Never Would’ve Guessed the Skynet Problem Would Come Before the Mass Layoffs

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

You don't need to worry about AI taking your job during a nuclear apocalypse.

Feds Making Dozens More Arrests in Minnesota Church Anti-ICE Protest Case

TMZ Staff, TMZ

The feds are going hard on the anti-ICE demonstration Don Lemon covered at a Minnesota church ... because dozens more protestors are going to be arrested. According to a superseding federal indictment, obtained by TMZ, the feds are charging 30 new…

Trump says ‘friendly takeover of Cuba’ possible

Al Jazeera English

Donald Trump said “we could very well end up having a friendly takeover of Cuba" by the US.

Panama officials search CK Hutchison's local office as tensions rise

By Emily Green and Elida Moreno, Yahoo Entertainment

PANAMA CITY, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Panamanian authorities searched the local ports unit of Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison, the subsidiary said on Friday...

Rubio plans Israel trip as Trump says he’s ‘not happy’ with US-Iran talks

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Trump tells reporters he would 'love not to use' military force against Iran but added, 'Sometimes you have to.'

California to Paramount: Assimilate This

Cheryl Eddy, Gizmodo.com

After Netflix dropped out of the race to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount is poised for victory—but it's not there yet.

‘I did nothing wrong’: Bill Clinton testifies in House Epstein inquiry

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Clinton is deposed by the House Oversight Committee over Epstein ties, a day after Hillary testified.

CISA is getting a new acting director after less than a year

Stevie Bonifield, The Verge

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, is getting a new acting director, as reported by ABC, less than a year after Madhu Gottumukkala took charge of the agency as deputy director …

Verizon Continues To Make Phone Unlocking Annoying (With The Trump FCC’s Help)

Karl Bode, Techdirt

Earlier this year we noted how the Trump FCC, at the direct request of wireless phone giants, destroyed popular phone unlocking rules making it easier and cheaper to switch wireless carriers. The rules, applied via spectrum acquisition and merger conditions a…

Radiohead Demand ICE Remove Video Featuring ‘Let Down’: ‘Go F–k Yourselves’

Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone

"This song means a lot to us and other people, and you don’t get to appropriate it without a fight," the band said in a new statement

Oak Ridge spawns institute to curb AI datacenter power surge

Dan Robinson, Theregister.com

Lab aims to link power, cooling, and workload management to ease strain on the US grid Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is hoping to turn its technical expertise to the problem of growing electricity demand from AI datacenters.…

FedEx promises to refund customers for ‘illegal’ tariffs

Emma Roth, The Verge

FedEx plans to pass along any refunds resulting from the Supreme Court's ruling that some of President Donald Trump's tariffs are "illegal." In a statement on its website, FedEx notes that while "no refund process has been established by the courts," the comp…

Netflix stock surges as it walks away from Warner Bros deal

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Netflix declined to raise its proposal to match a higher one from Paramount for Warner Bros.

Insider Trading Allegations Are Yet Another Example of Crypto Being No Different From Wall Street

Kyle Torpey, Gizmodo.com

Crypto is crashing but the outlook for insider trading scams is bullish.

Has Trump’s trade strategy lost leverage?

Al Jazeera English

A Supreme Court setback on tariffs challenges Trump's protectionist trade strategy.

Canada’s PM Carney in India to reset ties and bolster trade

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

India's foreign ministry says the visit marks a "significant step" in strengthening ties.

Paramount and Warner Bros' deal is about merging studios, and a whole lot more

David Folkenflik, NPR

The nearly $111 billion marriage would unite Paramount and Warner film studios, streamers and television properties — including CNN — under the control of the wealthy Ellison family.

Iran says US must drop ‘excessive demands’ in nuclear negotiations

Virginia Pietromarchi, Al Jazeera English

Iranian foreign minister emphasizes seriousness and realism as key to successful negotiations with the United States.

Scott Jennings Shut Down With Basic Definition of the Word He Was Using

The Daily Beast, Daily Beast

A Trumpy CNN pundit’s attempt to defend the Justice Department’s sloppy handling of the Epstein files backfired spectacularly when he was called out for an...

We don’t have to have unsupervised killer robots

Hayden Field, The Verge

It's the day of the Pentagon's looming ultimatum for Anthropic: allow the US military unchecked access to its technology, including for mass surveillance and fully autonomous lethal weapons, or potentially be designated a "supply chain risk" and potentially l…

What Developers Know About the Dangers of Unbounded AI

Thomas Wright, The Atlantic

Large language models are too powerful and too new to be set free from human oversight.

RFK Jr. Now Suggesting Americans Eat Like the Bear He Dumped in Central Park

Danielle Han, Jezebel

“Good food is not expensive,” the HHS Secretary said on Thursday, before saying Americans should eat more liver because it's cheaper than steak.

Rubio to visit Israel, Vance to meet Omanis on Iran, says 'no chance' of lengthy war

Nicholas Kerr, Hannah Demissie, Shannon K. Kingston, Abcnews.com

The State Department says rising tensions with Iran will be high on Marco Rubio's agenda in Israel.

‘Like it’s 2024 again’: Trump takes centre stage in 2026 midterm elections

Joanna Insco, Al Jazeera English

With control of Congress in the balance, officials say the president plans to campaign as if he were 'on the ballot'.

A Georgia City Will Be Drowning in Sewage Thanks to ICE "Mega Center," Say Officials

Jim Vorel, Jezebel

ICE's 10,000 person concentration camp detention center in Georgia will produce 1 million gallons of sewage per day, resulting in disaster.

Bitcoin Crashed 50% in 4 Months. Fidelity Says That’s a Good Thing

Kyle Torpey, Gizmodo.com

Fidelity Digital Assets analysts do see one ray of hope for bitcoin maxis.

The Pentagon is making a mistake by threatening Anthropic

Timothy B. Lee, Understandingai.org

Anthropic faces a Friday deadline to allow domestic surveillance and automated killer robots.

Second US drone laser incident this month prompts Texas airspace closure

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Lawmakers criticise mismanagement after El Paso airspace closure following military's anti-drone laser deployment.

WATCH: Suspected poisoning caught on camera

ABC News, Abcnews.com

A California couple says their roommate sprayed their kitchen with insect poison.

With Netflix Retreat, Trump Ally Larry Ellison Will Soon Own Warner Brothers, HBO, CNN, CBS, Paramount, Discovery, And Part Of TikTok

Karl Bode, Techdirt

Netflix has retreated from its protracted bidding war with Larry Ellison for control of Warner Brothers, giving the Trump ally likely control of Warner, CNN, and HBO. In a statement, Netflix co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters said that Paramount’s latest of…

Zuck’s Chatbot Might Flirt With Minors, But It’s Banned from Talking About Abortion

Danielle Han, Jezebel

Mother Jones reports that Meta's AI chatbot is also banned from telling minors to use condoms for safe sex.

Now What? 7 Big Questions We Have Now That Paramount — Not Netflix — Is Buying Warner Bros. Discovery

Brian Welk, IndieWire

Now that Paramount, not Netflix, is buying Warner Bros. Discovery, we have a lot of big questions about what the future holds.

Takeaways from Hillary Clinton's deposition. And, Paramount outbids for Warner Bros.

Brittney Melton, NPR

Hillary Clinton says the questioning in a closed-door deposition with the House Oversight Committee's Epstein investigation was repetitive. And, Paramount has outbid Netflix for Warner Bros.

The Strangest Beliefs of Our Likely Next Surgeon General

Ed Cara, Gizmodo.com

Casey Means has criticized the birth control pill, fearmongered about vaccines, and touted supplements with weak evidence behind them.

Elon Musk Moves Against the Russians in Ukraine

Simon Shuster, The Atlantic

Russian forces falter as the world’s richest man intervenes in the war once again.

10 Friday AM Reads

Barry Ritholtz, Ritholtz.com

My end-of-week morning train WFH reads: • People Loved the Dot-Com Boom. The A.I. Boom, Not So Much.: The dot-com era generated genuine public excitement. The AI boom is generating anxiety, skepticism, and resentment — even as the money keeps pouring in. (New…

Over half of Americans say health care, vacation, new car are unaffordable: Poll

Emily Guskin, Abcnews.com

About two-thirds who don’t own a home don’t think they’ll be able to afford one.

Netflix Walks Away From Warner Bros Deal, Paramount Set to Take Over

Tim Hardwick, MacRumors

Netflix has dropped out of the takeover battle for Warner Bros. Discovery, putting Paramount Skydance on course to win the whole WBD business. The world's largest streaming service had been pegged to land a deal in which it would acquire Warner Bros., HB…

Hedge funders were in Miami, but they're not 'all in' on Miami yet

Bradley Saacks, Business Insider

Like the US men's hockey team, hedge funders in South Beach aren't planning to stay long.

Trump's tariff back-and-forth keeps CEOs on edge

Dominick Reuter,Jordan Hart, Business Insider

The Supreme Court struck down one set of tariffs only for President Trump to slap new ones on. It's a bit of relief for CEOs, but not a complete fix.

Netflix's $82.7 billion deal to buy Warner has been dramatically gazumped by Paramount, to the tune of $111 billion

Edwin Evans-Thirlwell, Rock Paper Shotgun

Netflix’s $82.7 billion proposal to buy the parts of Warner Bros Discovery that include Hogwarts Legacy creators Avalanche, Lego devs TT Games, Mortal Kombat studio NetherRealm and Batman Arkham outfit Rocksteady has… fallen through. Read more

Now the Military Is Apparently Shooting Down Border Patrol's Own Drones

Jim Vorel, Jezebel

The DoD confirmed an "engagement occurred." With our own drones that we shot down, thanks to gross incompetence.

Bill Clinton faces questions from House Oversight Committee in its Epstein probe

Lalee Ibssa, Ivan Pereira, Abcnews.com

Former President Bill Clinton was set to take part in a closed door deposition with the House Oversight Committee as part of its probe into Jeffrey Epstein.

As the U.S. celebrates its 250th birthday, many Latinos question whether they belong

Marisa Peñaloza, NPR

Many U.S.-born Latinos feel afraid and anxious amid the political rhetoric. Still, others wouldn't miss celebrating their country

SNL mocked her as a 'scary mom.' In the Senate, Katie Britt is an emerging dealmaker

Sam Gringlas, NPR

Sen. Katie Britt, Republican of Alabama, is a budding bipartisan dealmaker. Her latest assignment: helping negotiate changes to immigration enforcement tactics.

Green Party wins UK by-election in blow to Labour, PM Starmer

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Progressive Greens win closely-watched election in one-time Labour stronghold, while right-wing Reform comes second.

Here's what smart people are saying about Anthropic's public spat with the Pentagon

Cheryl Teh,Matthew Loh, Business Insider

Anthropic drew a red line with the DOD over the use of its model, Claude. This is what smart people are saying about that.

'I would never say that' - US Olympian on White House AI video

Ben Collins, BBC News

USA men's ice hockey player Brady Tkachuk distances himself from an AI-enhanced White House video in which he appears to disparage Canadians, saying "those words would never come out of my mouth".

Maduro seeks dismissal of charges, claims US blocked legal defence funds

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

President Maduro's lawyer said his client's right to legal counsel of choice has been denied by US government actions.

Sick Reason Trump Tapped ICE Barbie for Top DHS Job Exposed

Yahoo Entertainment

‘No longer a threat’: How Canada U-turned on India ahead of Carney visit

Yashraj Sharma, Al Jazeera English

Canadian officials say India is no longer a 'security threat' after allegations of transnational violence rocked ties.

Lawmakers say US military used laser to take down Border Protection drone

The Associated Press, NPR

The U.S. military used a laser to shoot down a Customs and Border Protection drone, members of Congress said Thursday, and the Federal Aviation Administration responded by closing more airspace near El Paso, Texas.

Blackouts and emergency aid: Why the Cuban Revolution faces its biggest threat yet

BBC News

Will a worsening internal crisis create the conditions for the Cuban Revolution to unravel from within?

Solidarity with Palestinians questioned as Indonesian troops set for Gaza

Erin Hale, Al Jazeera English

President Prabowo Subianto is trying to expand Indonesia's global standing, but Indonesians question his role in Gaza.

Canadian PM Carney heads to India on ‘significant’ trip to consolidate ties

Megha Bahree, Al Jazeera English

Carney's trip comes at a time when he's looking for new markets for Canadian exports to diversify from the US.

Here's what smart people are saying about Paramount winning the Warner Bros. Discovery deal

Meghan Morris, Business Insider

Business and political leaders discuss the impact of the deal, from antitrust concerns to Netflix's big breakup fee.

The internet can't get enough of Mamdani's meeting with Trump

Cheryl Teh,Aditi Bharade, Business Insider

The New York City mayor went to the Oval Office on Thursday with fake newspapers that got the president beaming.

2 Months Into 2026 We Are Over Half 2025’s Total Count Of Measles Cases

Timothy Geigner, Techdirt

Measles. Yes, yes, I know you’re sick of hearing about it. For that, though, you must lay the blame at the feet of Donald Trump, RFK Jr., and this entire administration of clown-tools that isn’t bothering to do anything about what has become the worst continu…

Dept. of Defense shoots down Customs and Border Protection drone in Texas: Officials

Clara McMichael, Ayesha Ali, Abcnews.com

Ranking members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure released a statement on the incident on Thursday.

It's easy to understand why Netflix walked away from WBD

Peter Kafka, Business Insider

We are going to have lots of questions about the WBD-Paramount tie-up. But explaining why Netflix bailed is more straightfoward.

Top Democrats accuse Bondi and DOJ of Epstein files 'cover-up'

Isabella Murray, Abcnews.com

DOJ said it's reviewing if files were "found to have been improperly tagged."

BBC explains the Trump-related Epstein files the DOJ is accused of withholding

BBC News

The BBC's Tom Bateman explains what Trump-Related Epstein files the Department of Justice is accused of withholding.

Anthropic Tells Pete Hegseth to Take a Hike

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

The Pentagon wants Anthropic to drop safeguards against mass domestic surveillance and autonomous weapons.

Warner Bros. Discovery Deems Paramount’s New Takeover Offer ‘Superior,’ Netflix Backs Out Of Bidding

Jen Lennon, Kotaku

Netflix has declined to raise its offer for Warner Bros. Discovery, leaving the door open for David Ellison's Paramount Skydance to take over

White House stalls release of approved US science budgets

Max Kozlov, Alexandra Witze, Dan Garisto, Nature.com

The US Congress rejected sweeping cuts to science agencies. But the NIH, the NSF and NASA have had their spending slowed.