Politics
- World
Orbán says the EU and not Russia is Hungary's real threat ahead of April vote
The real threat facing Hungary is not Russia but the European Union, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a speech to supporters on Saturday, as his nationalist party ramps up an anti-EU campaign ahead of national elections. With only eight weeks until the April 12 vote, Orbán and his Fidesz party are facing their most serious challenge since the right-wing populist leader retook power in 2010. Most independent polls show Fidesz trailing the center-right Tisza party and its leader, Péter Magyar, even as Orbán has campaigned on the unsubstantiated premise that the EU would send Hungarians to their deaths in neighboring Ukraine if his party loses.
3 min readAssociated Press
- World
U.S. military hits 30 ISIS targets in Syria
The strikes were part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, which was launched in retaliation for an ISIS ambush that killed two American soldiers and an interpreter.
2 min readCBS News
- World
How Jeffrey Epstein used the glamour of the Nobel Peace Prize to entice his global network of elites
Jeffrey Epstein repeatedly played up his ties to the former head of the Nobel Peace Prize committee in invitations to and chats with elites like Richard Branson, Larry Summers, Bill Gates and Steve Bannon, a top ally of President Donald Trump, the Epstein files show. Thorbjørn Jagland, who headed the Norwegian Nobel Committee from 2009 to 2015, turns up hundreds of times in the millions of documents about the former U.S. financier and convicted sex offender that were released by the U.S. Justice Department last month.
3 min read - US
A year after border agent's killing, 7 Zizians fight criminal charges in 3 states
The violent deaths linked to the group known as Zizians stopped at six a year ago, after a U.S. border agent was killed and three members were arrested on trespassing and gun charges in the woods of western Maryland. Seven of the group's members are jailed in three states, all awaiting trial. Police in Maryland quickly connected Jack “Ziz” LaSota, Michelle Zajko and Daniel Blank to homicide investigations in California, Pennsylvania and Vermont after a landowner found them living in box trucks at the end of a snow covered dirt road last February, according to court documents and pre-trial testimony.
6 min read - Politics
In battleground Michigan, 3 Democrats test vision of affordability in the Senate primary
When Donald Trump fought his way back to the White House in 2024, he capitalized on simmering economic discontent in political battlegrounds such as Michigan. Now Democrats are trying to harness those same concerns, which have lingered as people across the country lose confidence in the Republican president's ability to ease the cost of living. The candidates — U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and physician Abdul El-Sayed — are making different pitches to voters, and their success or failure will help determine the party's fortunes in the November midterm elections, when control of Congress is at stake.
5 min read - US
Hundreds of agents search for Nancy Guthrie as her case spotlights other families left behind
As hundreds of federal and local agents scoured the Arizona desert and chased down potential leads in the nearly two weeks since Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her affluent neighborhood, families of other missing people are reminded how elusive answers can be. On the one hand, families who spoke to The Associated Press share in the deep pain that Nancy Guthrie's children, including the well-known “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, have expressed publicly. On the other, people like Tonya Miller — whose own mother disappeared under suspicious circumstances in Missouri in 2019 — say they feel frustrated as they watch seemingly endless resources flood into the search for Guthrie.
5 min read - US
How authorities got Nancy Guthrie camera footage through ‘backend systems’
Authorities pulled key surveillance video in Nancy Guthrie investigation days after initial attempts failed.
5 min readThe Hill
- US
A partial government shutdown has hit the Department of Homeland Security. Here’s what that means
DHS could be ensnared by a partial shutdown if Congress does not fund the agency by the end of Friday. But nearly all DHS workers would remain on the job.
7095 min readCNN
- World
Venezuelan deportee welcomes chance of US return but fears repeat of ordeal
Luis Muñoz Pinto, 27, who was sent to notoriously brutal prison in El Salvador would like to clear his name after US judge’s ruling
6 min readThe Guardian
- US
What is it about Minnesota that made it a target for Trump’s ICE crackdown?
The Democratic-leaning midwestern state where federal agents killed two citizens is in many ways anathema to the administration
9 min read - US
New careers, relocations and medical problems: How ex-federal workers’ lives have been upended since DOGE
CNN spoke with several former federal workers who were laid off or accepted buyouts amid DOGE’s aggressive and controversial cuts last year.
13 min read - World
Steve Bannon courted Epstein in his efforts to ‘take down’ Pope Francis
Steve Bannon, a longtime adviser to US President Donald Trump, discussed opposition strategies with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein against Pope Francis, with Bannon saying he hoped to “take down” the pontiff, according to newly released files from the US Department of Justice.
1.4K7 min read - Politics
Trump’s repeal of landmark Obama-era climate rule: four key takeaways
Environmental groups say ‘cynical and devastating’ reversal of endangerment finding has grave implications
6 min read - US
A missing woman, bloodstains and a masked intruder: tantalising clues but few leads in hunt for Nancy Guthrie
The disappearance in Arizona of the Today show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother has captivated the nation
6 min read - Politics
Johnson’s delegation cancellation upends lawmakers’ travel to critical global summit
The cancellation of the official House delegation to the annual Munich Security Conference has drawn pushback from Democrats who still plan to attend, even as it’s upended a decades-long tradition of robust bipartisan participation in the high-profile global policy forum. A House leadership aide told The Hill that cancelling congressional delegations (CODEL) is standard operating…
604 min read - US
Who got fired by the government in 2025 — and who got hired
Data from the Office of Personnel Management lays out how the composition of the federal government shifted during Trump’s first year back in the White House.
4 min readMS NOW
- US
Broken bones, burning eyes: How Trump's DHS deploys 'less lethal' weapons on protesters
Federal immigration officers have repeatedly used less lethal weapons in ways that appear to violate their own policies or general policing guidelines, unless they believed their lives were in danger, NBC News found.
20 min readNBC News
- Politics
President Trump’s outrageous opposition to a new bridge to Canada disrespects Michigan
President Trump is suddenly trying to block the Gordie Howe International Bridge that’s expected to soon connect Michigan and Canada.
5 min read - US
Trump’s Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota was a failure by every metric
The Trump administration has claimed “great success” in a city that actually put Donald Trump on his back foot.
4 min read - US
At least half a dozen top Trump administration officials appear in the Jeffrey Epstein files
At least a half-dozen top officials in the current Trump administration have connections to Jeffrey Epstein, according to an NBC News review of some of the over 3 million documents the Justice Department has released
14611 min read - Politics
The future of Nebraska's 'blue dot' electoral vote becomes an issue in one key midterm race
Only three House Republicans won re-election in 2024 while Kamala Harris carried their districts — and one of them, Rep.
7 min read - Politics
US homeland security department partially shut down after lawmakers fail to agree funding
Lawmakers left Washington for a long weekend without resolving an impasse over much-criticized agency’s funding
3 min read - US
How popular are Democrats’ shutdown demands on immigration?
Congress is now, yet again, shutting down major parts of the federal government.
2666 min read - US
Federal law would stop the cars of drunk or impaired drivers, but it isn't happening yet
A federal law requiring impairment-detection devices inside all new cars survived a recent push to strip its funding but remains stalled by questions about whether the technology is ready. Rana Abbas Taylor lost her sister, brother-in-law, nephew and two nieces when a driver with a blood-alcohol level almost four times the legal limit slammed into their car in January 2019 as the Michigan family drove through Lexington, Kentucky, on the way home from a Florida vacation. The tragedy turned Abbas Taylor into an outspoken advocate for stopping the more than 10,000 alcohol-related deaths each year on U.S. roads.
5 min read - US
What services will be affected by the DHS government shutdown?
Funding for the Department of Homeland Security expired at the end of the day Friday. Here's what will be affected.
1.1K4 min read - Politics
DHS shutdown begins as funding expires without a deal in Congress
It's the second time in as many weeks that government funding has lapsed as Democrats and the White House remain at an impasse over immigration enforcement policies.
4 min read - Politics
DHS funding lapses as Democrats demand ICE reforms
Funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ran out at midnight, marking the third — but smallest — government shutdown of President Trump’s second term as Democrats demand reforms to immigration enforcement practices. The shutdown is likely to last longer than the four-day partial shutdown that ended last week, as the White House, Republicans…
4 min read - US
‘I thought they were just going to execute me’: American held in Venezuela during Maduro’s last days tells all
James Luckey-Lange has been spending a lot of time looking at the names he carved on a bar of soap he smuggled out of a Venezuelan prison in his underwear.
7 min read - Politics
Homeland Security Department shuts down as Democrats and Trump negotiate changes
The Department of Homeland Security shut down as Trump and Democrats continued to discuss changes to U.S. immigration enforcement after the Minneapolis shootings.
5 min read - World
Rubio and European leaders agree on one thing: The old world order ‘no longer exists’
European leaders braced for a combative Munich Security Conference on Friday, with Germany’s Friedrich Merz noting starkly that the international world order “no longer exists” – one of the few points of agreement between the fractious allies in the transatlantic alliance.
5 min read - World
Mark Carney joins hands with Canada opposition leader as he pays tribute to school shooting victims
The Canadian prime minister told residents of Tumbler Ridge that the country is ‘with you’
4 min read - World
African Union summit opens as youth anger grows over a 'bloc of old leaders'
Africa’s top regional body is hosting its annual summit in Ethiopia this weekend to discuss the future of the continent of some 1.4 billion people, as the organization faces widespread discontent. Set up to “promote the unity and solidarity of the African States,” analysts say the African Union faces a legitimacy crisis among youth for failing to meet their expectations. Meanwhile, several African countries battle military coups, disputed elections and protests inspired by economic hardship worsened by foreign aid cuts.
4 min read - US
Noem says she’s ‘still in charge’ of DHS
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem on Friday said she’s “still in charge” of her department as White House border czar Tom Homan has taken more control over President Trump’s immigration agenda. Noem has come under fire after two deadly shootings by immigration officials in Minneapolis spurred an outcry toward Immigration and Customs…
3 min read - World
US strikes alleged drug boat in Caribbean, killing 3
The US military conducted a strike against another alleged drug-trafficking boat in the Caribbean on Friday, killing three people, according to US Southern Command.
9452 min read - Politics
A lawsuit seeks to stop Trump's overhaul of a 100-year-old public golf course in Washington
Two golfers in Washington, D.C., sued the federal government on Friday to try to prevent the Trump administration from overhauling a more than 100-year-old public golf course, accusing the administration of violating environmental laws and polluting a park that is on the National Register of Historic Places. The suit is the latest in a series of legal battles challenging President Donald Trump's extraordinary efforts to put his mark on public spaces in the nation's capitol, including shuttering the Kennedy Center. At the end of last year, a group of preservationists filed a similar lawsuit seeking to prevent the administration from demolishing the East Wing of the White House in order to build a ballroom — a project slated to cost $400.
3 min read - World
US strikes second alleged drug boat in a week, bringing death toll to 133
Strike appears to be first in Caribbean since November, with vast majority of recent strikes happening in the Pacific
2 min read - US
CBP official charged with harboring girlfriend who is in US illegally
Wilkinson faces up to 10 years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine if convicted.
1 min read - World
U.S. strikes alleged drug boat in Caribbean, killing three
The U.S. Southern Command said it struck a vessel allegedly transporting drugs in the Caribbean on Friday, killing three people.“Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations,” Southern Command said in a post on X, adding that “intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations.”
2 min read - Politics
Trump vows voter ID requirements for the midterms, 'whether approved by Congress or not'
President Donald Trump said in social media posts Friday that he would issue an executive order to require voters to show identification in the midterm elections if Congress fails to act.“If we can’t get it through Congress, there are Legal reasons why this SCAM is not permitted.
4 min read - US
"We were all scared," says child who ran as ICE operation unfolded near school bus stop
Dylan, who is a U.S. citizen, told CBS News the day seemed normal — until he heard his classmates suddenly start shouting "ICE."
2 min read - Politics
Trump news at a glance: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez blasts president’s ‘age of authoritarianism’ at European conference
Democratic representative also condemns US capture of Nicolás Maduro, Trump’s threats to annex Greenland and US support for Israel’s war on Gaza – key US politics stories from Friday, 13 February at a glance
6 min read - US
What to know about the counter drone technology that triggered the closure of the El Paso airspace
The government’s ability to deal with drones that pose a threat on American soil has been questioned this week after the use of a laser designed to shoot down drones near the border in Texas led to the abrupt closure of the airspace over El Paso, sources familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. The details of exactly what happened before the Federal Aviation Administration shut down the busy airport in the Mexican border city on Wednesday aren’t entirely clear, but a source familiar with the situation told AP that the laser was deployed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection without coordinating with the FAA. Two months ago, Congress agreed to give more law enforcement agencies the authority to take down rogue drones as long as they are properly trained.
5 min read - US
A timeline of US strikes on boats that have killed 124
The US military has killed 124 people in strikes that have destroyed 40 boats as part of a campaign that Washington says is aimed at curtailing the flow of drugs into the United States. There have been several survivors of those strikes, two of whom were briefly detained by the US Navy before being returned to their home countries. Another is presumed dead after a search by the Mexican Navy.
3732 min read - Politics
Ocasio-Cortez says ‘unconditional’ US aid to Israel ‘enabled a genocide in Gaza’
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Friday said that “unconditional” U.S. aid to Israel in its war with Hamas “enabled a genocide in Gaza,” criticism that implicates the Biden administration’s Middle East policy. Ocasio-Cortez was answering a question from a Haaretz reporter while attending the annual Munich Security Conference regarding whether a presidential candidate in 2028…
3 min read - Science
SpaceX and NASA launch astronauts to relieve bare-bones crew at ISS
The four Crew-12 astronauts will bring the International Space Station’s staff back to seven after a month of operating with three people on board.
1146 min read - Politics
Washington panel set to consider Trump's ballroom project in March
By Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's White House ballroom project may get a blessing from Washington planning authorities as soon as next month.
2 min readReuters
- US
Immigration officials plan to spend $38.3 billion to boost detention capacity to 92,000 beds
Federal immigration officials plan to spend $38.3 billion to boost detention capacity to 92,600 beds, a document released Friday shows, as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement quietly purchases warehouses to turn into detention and processing facilities. Republican New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte posted the document online amid tension over ICE's plans to convert a warehouse in Merrimack into a 500-bed processing center. It said ICE plans 16 regional processing centers with a population of 1,000 to 1,500 detainees, whose stays would average three to seven days.
2 min read