Hegseth bans military from attending Princeton, Columbia, other elite universities: ‘Wokeness and weakness’
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Friday said he was ordering the “complete and immediate cancellation” of all Department of War attendants at universities like Princeton, Columbia, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Brown and Yale, starting with the 2026-27 academic year. Hegseth added that the ban would also include “many others,” claiming the higher education system has been “poisoned from within from a class of so-called elite universities who’ve abused their privilege and access to this department and utterly betrayed their purpose.” Hegseth’s announcement comes after he similarly banned active-duty service members earlier this month from attending Harvard starting next year. He accused the universities of gorging themselves for decades on a “trust fund of American taxpayer dollars only to become factories of anti-American resentment and military disdain.” SCOUTING AMERICA AGREES TO 5 CHANGES UNDER PENTAGON PRESSURE He claimed the universities had replaced “the study of victory and pragmatic realism with the promotion of wokeness and weakness.” “This is not education, this is indoctrination,” he added. COLUMBIA PULLS PROMOTION FOR CAREER DHS AFTER FACULTY CLAIMS UNIVERSITY IS AIDING ‘AUTHORITARIANISM’ “The Department of War is finished subsidizing the corruption of our own in uniform class,” he said. “We’re done paying for the privilege of our enemies’ wicked ideologies to be taught to our future leaders. We’ve had enough.” “We cannot and will not send our most capable officers, senior officers, into graduate programs that undermine the very values they have sworn to uphold.” Hegseth added that the department would also hold itself accountable, starting with a top-to-bottom review of “our own internal war colleges, ensuring they are once again bastions of strategic thought, wholly dedicated to the singular mission of developing the most lethal and effective leaders and war fighters the world has ever known.”
Trump introduces Cornyn, Paxton but stays mum on endorsement in heated GOP primary
The Texas Senate primary for Republicans is a bloodbath, and President Donald Trump isn’t wading in. Trump, who appeared in Corpus Christi, Texas, to tout his energy agenda Friday, had the opportunity to stake his claim in the contentious race and endorse a candidate. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, is the longtime incumbent fending off seven challengers. But the real race is between Cornyn, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas. REBEL GOP SENATE CANDIDATE ENTERS LION’S DEN FOR TRUMP’S STATE OF THE UNION All three were in attendance at Trump’s rally, reminiscent of the made-for-TV spectacles that dominated his successful 2024 election campaign. Yet Trump didn’t endorse any of them as Election Day in the primary fast approaches. Trump acknowledged all three — he paired Cornyn and Paxton and mentioned Hunt later in his remarks. He noted that they were all engaged in an “interesting election.” “They’re in a little race together,” Trump said of Cornyn and Paxton. “You know that, right? A little bit of a race. It’s going to be an interesting one, right? They’re both great people, too.” HUNT FILES POLICE REPORT AGAINST CORNYN CAMPAIGN STAFFER OVER ALLEGED FAMILY ‘DOXXING’ INCIDENT Cornyn is running for a fifth term in the Senate and fighting for his political life in a nasty primary election that Trump has time and again refused to weigh in on. He’s got the full weight of Senate Republican leadership behind him, too. Paxton, who has faced headwinds with scandals over the years, has strongly aligned himself with the president and built a coalition of conservative backers in the House, including Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, who brought him to Trump’s State of the Union earlier this week. And while the trio duke it out, money is being burned at a record pace. So far, a whopping $110 million has been spent on the Senate primaries, and $88 million of that has been dumped into the GOP contest, according to data from AdImpact. CORNYN WARNS PAXTON WOULD BE ‘KISS OF DEATH’ FOR GOP AS BLOODY PRIMARY RACE RAMPS UP Given the crowded field, it’s likely the race will head to a runoff, which will turn into a brutal sprint until late May. Paxton believes he could come out on top with at least 50% of the vote come March 3, while Cornyn is eying the long game. The coveted Trump endorsement could put either over the top in ruby red Texas. And he may be close to picking his favorite. Ahead of the event, Trump was asked if he had decided who to endorse. “Pretty much,” he told reporters. But when asked if he would say who, he said, “No.”
Dem governor under fire after illegal alien allegedly stabs woman to death at bus stop: ‘Heinous’
EXCLUSIVE: The Department of Homeland Security is calling on Virginia’s Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger to ensure local law enforcement cooperates with federal immigration officials by handing over an illegal immigrant with a lengthy criminal record who allegedly killed a woman earlier this week at a Virginia bus stop. Police in Fairfax County, Virginia, arrested an illegal immigrant from Sierra Leone earlier this week on charges of second-degree murder after he allegedly fatally stabbed a woman, Stephanie Minter, 41, who was found dead at a local bus stop with several wounds to the upper body. The alleged suspect, Abdul Jalloh, 32, also has a criminal history of more than 30 arrests, according to DHS, including for rape, malicious wounding, assault, identity theft, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, assault and pick-pocketing. GEORGIA LAWMAKER CALLS FOR ICE SURGE AFTER SAVANNAH TEACHER ALLEGEDLY KILLED BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT The request from the Trump administration comes after the newly elected Democratic governor of Virginia signed an executive order to end cooperation between federal immigration officials and state and local law enforcement, a move several Democratic Party governors have taken recently amid President Donald Trump’s move to increase deportation operations around the country. The DHS request asking Virginia officials to cooperate with ICE also comes after an illegal immigrant allegedly murdered someone just days after being released from jail for a separate crime in December. “We are calling on Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger and Virginia’s sanctuary politicians to commit to not releasing this murderer and violent career criminal from their jail without notifying ICE,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “This illegal alien’s murder of an innocent, beautiful American woman came less than 24 hours before Governor Spanberger’s demonization of ICE law enforcement. This heinous criminal is a perfect example of why we need cooperation from sanctuary jurisdictions and the importance of third country removals for the safety of the American people.” Spanberger’s representatives did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Jalloh entered the United States illegally in 2012, according to DHS, and immigration officials lodged an immigration detainer against him in 2020, whereupon he was granted a final order of removal by a judge who said he could be removed to any country other than Sierra Leone. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WITH PRIOR DEPORTATION SHOOTS DEPUTY IN CHEST, DIES AFTER EXCHANGE: DHS DHS indicated that ICE cooperation to ensure Jalloh’s deportation is evident after a case Fox News covered in December when a criminal illegal alien from El Salvador, Marvin Morales-Ortez, 23, allegedly killed a man just a day after Fairfax County jail officials let him go. The immigrant from El Salvador had been in custody on charges of malicious wounding and brandishing a gun, but police released him after the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, led by George Soros-backed prosecutor Steve Descano, dropped the charges. Fox News Digital reached out to the Fairfax County Sheriff’s office to inquire about why the man had not been handed over to ICE. The sheriff’s office said, “ICE was aware of Morales-Ortez’s incarceration and elected not to seek a judicial warrant to ensure he remained in custody. “The Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office follows all local, state and federal laws when determining whether a person is subject to release from the ADC,” the sheriff’s office told Fox News Digital at the time. “Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is automatically notified any time a person is booked into the ADC.” The same sheriff’s office did not get back to Fox News Digital’s media inquiry for this story on DHS urging officials to cooperate with federal officials.
Trump says he plans to order federal ban on Anthropic AI after company refuses Pentagon demands
President Donald Trump on Friday said he was ordering every federal government agency to stop using Athropic AI immediately. “THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL NEVER ALLOW A RADICAL LEFT, WOKE COMPANY TO DICTATE HOW OUR GREAT MILITARY FIGHTS AND WINS WARS! That decision belongs to YOUR COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, and the tremendous leaders I appoint to run our Military,” Trump began in a lengthy Truth Social post Friday afternoon. He added, “The Leftwing nut jobs at Anthropic have made a DISASTROUS MISTAKE trying to STRONG-ARM the Department of War, and force them to obey their Terms of Service instead of our Constitution. Their selfishness is putting AMERICAN LIVES at risk, our Troops in danger, and our National Security in JEOPARDY.” The president said he would immediately direct every federal agency to stop using Anthropic technology. TECH COMPANY REFUSES PENTAGON DEMANDS ON UNRESTRICTED USE OF ITS AI “We don’t need it, we don’t want it, and will not do business with them again!” he continued. There will be a six-month phase out period for agencies such as the Department of War, he added. “Anthropic better get their act together, and be helpful during this phase out period, or I will use the Full Power of the Presidency to make them comply, with major civil and criminal consequences to follow,” he wrote. He continued, “WE will decide the fate of our Country — NOT some out-of-control, Radical Left AI company run by people who have no idea what the real World is all about.” Earlier this week, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei refused demands from the Department of War to use its artificial intelligence for “all lawful purposes,” but Amodei said no, concerned over the possibility it could be used for “mass domestic surveillance” or “fully autonomous weapons.” TOP AI FIRM ALLEGES CHINESE LABS USED 24K FAKE ACCOUNTS TO SIPHON US TECH “The Department of War has stated they will only contract with AI companies who accede to ‘any lawful use’ and remove safeguards in the cases mentioned above. They have threatened to remove us from their systems if we maintain these safeguards; they have also threatened to designate us a ‘supply chain risk’ — a label reserved for US adversaries, never before applied to an American company — and to invoke the Defense Production Act to force the safeguards’ removal,” Amodei said in a Thursday statement. He declared that the “threats do not change our position: we cannot in good conscience accede to their request.” PENTAGON TAPS MUSK’S XAI TO BOOST SENSITIVE GOVERNMENT WORKFLOWS, SUPPORT MILITARY OPERATIONS “It is the Department’s prerogative to select contractors most aligned with their vision. But given the substantial value that Anthropic’s technology provides to our armed forces, we hope they reconsider,” Amodei said in a statement sent on Thursday to Fox News Digital. “Our strong preference is to continue to serve the Department and our warfighters — with our two requested safeguards in place. Should the Department choose to offboard Anthropic, we will work to enable a smooth transition to another provider, avoiding any disruption to ongoing military planning, operations, or other critical missions. Our models will be available on the expansive terms we have proposed for as long as required.” “We remain ready to continue our work to support the national security of the United States,” he added. On Friday, after Trump’s announcement, Hegseth claimed Anthropic “delivered a master class in arrogance and betrayal as well as a textbook case of how not to do business with the United States Government or the Pentagon.” He added in a lengthy X post: “Our position has never wavered and will never waver: the Department of War must have full, unrestricted access to Anthropic’s models for every LAWFUL purpose in defense of the Republic.” “In conjunction with the President’s directive for the Federal Government to cease all use of Anthropic’s technology, I am directing the Department of War to designate Anthropic a Supply-Chain Risk to National Security,” he added. “Effective immediately, no contractor, supplier, or partner that does business with the United States military may conduct any commercial activity with Anthropic. Anthropic will continue to provide the Department of War its services for a period of no more than six months to allow for a seamless transition to a better and more patriotic service.” The General Services Administration also announced on Friday it was removing Anthropic from USAi.gov and their Multiple Award Schedule (MAS). “GSA stands with the President in rejecting attempts to politicize work dedicated to America’s national security,” GSA Administrator Edward C. Forst said in a statement. “Building resilient, secure, and scalable AI solutions demands alignment, trust, and a willingness to make hard calls. We’re committed to delivering results for Americans, and working with our AI industry partners who fit the bill.” Anthropic told Fox News Digital on Friday that Hegseth’s designation as a supply chain risk “follows months of negotiations that reached an impasse over two exceptions we requested to the lawful use of our AI model, Claude: the mass domestic surveillance of Americans and fully autonomous weapons.” “We have not yet received direct communication from the Department of War or the White House on the status of our negotiations,” Anthropic said. The company continued, “We have tried in good faith to reach an agreement with the Department of War, making clear that we support all lawful uses of AI for national security aside from the two narrow exceptions above. To the best of our knowledge, these exceptions have not affected a single government mission to date.” “We held to our exceptions for two reasons,” the company added. “First, we do not believe that today’s frontier AI models are reliable enough to be used in fully autonomous weapons. Allowing current models to be used in this way would endanger America’s warfighters and civilians. Second, we believe that mass domestic surveillance of Americans constitutes a violation of fundamental rights.” The company also called the supply chain risk designation an “unprecedented action—one historically reserved for US adversaries, never before publicly
DHS funding stalemate thaws as White House sends Democrats ‘serious’ counteroffer
Frigid negotiations between the White House and Senate Democrats appear to be thawing, with the Trump administration submitting what it calls a “serious” offer to reopen the government. “Yesterday, the White House made another serious counteroffer,” a White House official told Fox News Digital. “Democrats need to make a move to end the shutdown before more Americans are harmed by a lack of funding for critical services like disaster relief.” It’s the second offer from the White House in an ongoing back-and-forth that has left the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) without funding for two weeks. With lawmakers away from Washington, D.C., for the weekend, the shutdown will stretch into a third week. AGENCY THAT NABBED ‘EL CHAPO,’ ‘DIDDY’ THREATENED AS DEMOCRATS’ DHS SHUTDOWN DRAGS ON The latest development comes after a week of stalled negotiations between Senate Democrats and the administration, along with concerns that an off-ramp from the shutdown remained out of reach. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., both acknowledged receiving the offer in a joint statement Friday. “We have received the White House’s counteroffer and are reviewing it closely. Democrats remain committed to keep fighting for real reforms to rein in ICE and stop the violence,” they said. SCHUMER, DEMS AGAIN BLOCK DHS FUNDING, FORCE STATE OF THE UNION SHOWDOWN Congressional Democrats have spent much of the week accusing the White House of not taking the negotiations seriously, while Republicans contend their counterparts are asking for too much. Schumer and Senate Democrats earlier this week blocked another attempt by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Republicans to fund DHS using the original compromise funding bill. DEMOCRATS DEMANDING ICE REFORMS LOSE AIRPORT ESCORTS IN SHUTDOWN THEY TRIGGERED “It seems like the Democrats concluded this is maybe good politics for them. It’s not for the people whose lives are affected on a daily basis,” Thune said earlier this week. “So, we’ll keep pressing to try and get folks to the table. But I think the White House — you know — they continue to exchange paper and trade paper and all that, and hopefully they’ll find a sweet spot.” Democrats want stringent reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including requiring agents to obtain judicial warrants and identify themselves during enforcement actions, changes Republicans and the administration say are red lines. Democrats argue the White House has not shown the urgency they would have expected, given that an agency central to President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda has been shuttered for nearly three weeks. “They haven’t indicated that they’re concerned about the closure of DHS,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., told Fox News Digital. “They’ve been slow to come back on the proposals that the Democrats have made. “And no one has ever explained why there should be only one police force in the entire country that should not have to follow the same kind of rules as everyone else.”
Rubio designates Iran over wrongful detentions, urges Americans to leave country ‘immediately’
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday designated Iran as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention, calling for Americans currently in Iran to “leave immediately.” “When the Iranian regime seized power 47 years ago, Ayatollah Khomeini consolidated his control of power by endorsing the hostage taking of U.S. embassy staff,” Rubio wrote in a news statement. “For decades, Iran has continued to cruelly detain innocent Americans, as well as citizens of other nations, to use as political leverage against other states. This abhorrent practice must end.” “President [Donald] Trump issued an Executive Order to Protect U.S. Nationals from Wrongful Detention Abroad last fall and Congress subsequently enacted the Countering Wrongful Detention Act of 2025, authorizing the Department to designate Iran as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention,” he added. Rubio said if Iran does not stop, the U.S. will be forced to consider “additional measures,” including a potential geographic travel restriction on the use of U.S. passports to, through, or from Iran. TRUMP SAYS IRAN ALREADY HAS US TERMS AS MILITARY STRIKE CLOCK TICKS “The Iranian regime must stop taking hostages and release all Americans unjustly detained in Iran, steps that could end this designation and associated actions. We encourage it to do so,” Rubio wrote. “No American should travel to Iran for any reason. We reiterate our call for Americans who are currently in Iran to leave immediately.” Rubio’s comments came amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran as they take part in indirect nuclear negotiations. Trump last week gave Iran roughly 10 to 15 days to reach an agreement, warning during his State of the Union address that the urgency to make a deal was backed by force. TRUMP SAYS IRAN ‘SERIOUSLY TALKING TO US’ AS MILITARY SHIPS HEAD TO MIDDLE EAST Trump told reporters on Friday that he is “not happy” with the way Iran is negotiating, but said he has not yet made a final decision on potential military strikes. Eleven U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighters recently arrived at Israel’s Ovda Air Base in the country’s south, Fox News reported, marking the first-ever operational deployment of American combat aircraft to Israel. When asked how close a decision may be, Trump told a reporter, “I’d rather not tell you, you would have the greatest scoop in history, right?” The president noted that there is “always a risk” of long-term conflict in the Middle East. “I guess you could say there’s always a risk,” Trump said. “You know, when there’s war, there’s a risk in anything both good and bad.” This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. Fox News’ Efrat Lachter, Peter Doocy and Morgan Phillips, along with Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.
Is the US negotiating with Iran or preparing to strike?
Iran and the US begin new nuclear talks as Washington builds up forces in the region. Iran and the United States are heading into a third round of indirect nuclear negotiations in Geneva, while US military assets build up across the region. Is either side prepared to compromise, or is the confrontation at a breaking point? In this episode: Episode credits: This episode was produced by Noor Wazwaz, Melanie Marich, and Marcos Bartolomé, with Spencer Cline, Tamara Khandaker, Tuleen Barakat, Maya Hamadeh, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Alexandra Locke and Sarí el-Khalili. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube Published On 27 Feb 202627 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share plus2googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
‘Like it’s 2024 again’: Trump takes centre stage in 2026 midterm elections
Nationalising the race The Republican Party has suffered losses since Trump’s return to the presidency last year. In 2025’s off-year races, Democrats notched a handful of victories, from Virginia to New Jersey. Wiles, a close adviser to Trump, has blamed the Republican defeats on Trump’s absence from the ballot. “Typically, in the midterms, it’s not about who’s sitting in the White House. You localise the election, and you keep federal officials out of it,” Wiles explained to The Mom View. “We’re actually going to turn that on its head and put him on the ballot, because so many of those low-propensity voters are Trump voters.” Her strategy is designed to harness the strong sense of loyalty Trump has engendered in the Republican Party. The YouGov poll found conservative voters overwhelmingly approved of his job, at a rate of 82 percent. A mid-January CBS News survey found an even higher approval rating — 90 percent — among US adults who identify as Republicans. “Since 2016, our surveys have all been off because we underestimate the Trump vote consistently,” said political scientist Lonna Rae Atkeson. “Trump has definitely drawn more support from irregular voters, people who don’t regularly go to the polls, during presidential elections.” But she questioned whether Trump’s endorsement would translate into increased support for down-ballot races. “We haven’t seen that carry over well to the midterms,” said Atkeson. “So it may not turn out well for him.” But putting Trump “on the ballot”, as Wiles suggests, also risks shifting the focus of the midterm races away from local issues. Instead, experts like Gillespie believe that “nationalising” the midterm races could homogenise both down-ballot candidates and their policy platforms, as they seek to reflect national priorities, not local ones. “One manifestation of polarisation in American politics is that national issues increasingly supplant local ones,” Gillespie said. “As national politics seep into state and local races, it becomes harder for federal candidates to distinguish themselves from Washington.” Adblock test (Why?)
Iran says US must drop ‘excessive demands’ in nuclear negotiations
Iranian foreign minister emphasizes seriousness and realism as key to successful negotiations with the United States. Listen to this article Listen to this article | 3 mins info Published On 27 Feb 202627 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share plus2googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo The United States must drop its “excessive demands” in nuclear talks with Iran to achieve a successful outcome, the Iranian foreign minister has said, as the US embassy in Jerusalem granted permission to nonemergency staff members to leave Israel amid fears of a regional war. Abbas Aragchi made the remarks during a phone call with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdel Ati, according to a report on Friday by the ISNA news agency. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Iran’s top diplomat said that “success on this path requires seriousness and realism on the part of the other side and avoidance of any miscalculation and excessive demands”. He did not elaborate on what those demands are. Aragchi’s statement tempered down previous comments where he hailed “progress” at the talks and described the last round of negotiations between Iranian and US officials in Geneva as the “most intense so far”. “It concluded with the mutual understanding that we will continue to engage in a more detailed manner on matters that are essential to any deal – including sanctions termination and nuclear-related steps,” he said. Further negotiations will be conducted in parallel to meetings between technical teams in Vienna in the coming days, the Iranian diplomat added. American and Iranian officials left the Swiss city following the indirect talks mediated by Oman on Thursday to consult with their respective governments. Since resuming talks last month, the US has said it wants Iran to dismantle its nuclear infrastructure entirely, limit its arsenal of ballistic missiles and stop supporting regional allies. While Tehran has shown flexibility about discussing limitations on the enrichment of uranium for civilian use, it has so far treated missiles and proxies as non-negotiables. Advertisement US President Donald Trump has said he favours a diplomatic resolution to the standoff, but has repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran if it does not accept a deal. The US has amassed its biggest military arsenal in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, including the world’s biggest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford, which arrived on Friday in the Israeli port city of Haifa, according to Israeli Channel 12. Iran has said that it was not going to initiate a war, but that it was ready to respond if attacked, threatening to strike bases used by US forces in the region. The military build-up has left the region bracing for a potential war that could spiral into a regional conflict. On Friday, China told its citizens to evacuate from Iran “as soon as possible” and the US authorised the departure of nonemergency embassy staff from Israel – the same order Washington issued for the US mission in Lebanon earlier this week. Canada, India, UK and Poland have also issued similar orders. Adblock test (Why?)
Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia get clean chit in Delhi excise policy scandal; know about the case
Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia have been cleared of all charges in the Delhi excise policy case, with the court ruling that the CBI failed to prove the charges against them.