Trump DOJ probes Michigan schools over gender curriculum, joins lawsuit against LA race-based program
The Trump Justice Department on Wednesday launched investigations into three Michigan public school districts over gender-related classroom instruction and sought to intervene in a federal lawsuit challenging a race-based admission and funding program in Los Angeles — intensifying the administration’s push into school policy disputes nationwide. The Civil Rights Division said it is examining whether the Detroit Public Schools Community District, Godfrey-Lee Public Schools and the Lansing School District included “sexual orientation and gender ideology (SOGI) content in any class for grades pre-K-12.” If such instruction is provided, investigators will assess whether parents were notified of their right to opt their children out and whether the districts “limit access to single-sex intimate spaces, such as bathrooms and locker rooms, based on biological sex.” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said the department is focused on enforcing parental rights and Title IX. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION THREATENS TO PULL FEDERAL FUNDS FROM VIRGINIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN GENDER POLICY DISPUTE “This Department of Justice is fiercely committed to ending the growing trend of local school authorities embedding sexuality and gender ideology in every aspect of public education,” Dhillon said. She added that “Supreme Court precedent is clear: parents have the right to direct the religious upbringing of their children,” including exempting them from instruction that conflicts with their beliefs. Dhillon also said Title IX requires protecting “the safety, dignity, and innocence of our youngest citizens… by ensuring that they have unfettered access to bathrooms and locker rooms of their biological sex.” GOP SENATOR PROBES 18 BLUE STATES, DC OVER TRUMP’S TRANSGENDER ATHLETE ORDER The department noted the Michigan districts receive “hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer funding” and said investigators will evaluate compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Supreme Court’s 2025 decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor. Officials emphasized the Civil Rights Division “has not reached any conclusions about the subject matter of the investigations.” In a separate action, the Justice Department said it is seeking to intervene in a lawsuit filed by the nonprofit 1776 Project Foundation challenging the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Predominately Hispanic, Black, Asian, and Other (PHBAO) Program. According to the department’s proposed complaint, the program categorizes students by race and neighborhood demographics for funding and magnet school admissions, separating students into “Anglo,” meaning White, and other racial categories. Neighborhoods with fewer than 30% White residents are designated as disadvantaged, and certain schools receive additional funding, a reduced student-teacher ratio by 5.5 students, and magnet admissions preferences. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SUES PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT OVER ALLEGEDLY DISCRIMINATORY POLICIES The complaint states LAUSD treats attending school with non-White students “as a disadvantage equal to attending an overcrowded school.” Attorney General Pam Bondi said the federal government is intervening to enforce equal protection guarantees. “Treating Americans equally is not a suggestion — it is a core constitutional guarantee that educational institutions must follow,” Bondi said. Dhillon said students “should never be classified or treated differently because of their race,” adding that “Racial discrimination is unlawful and un-American.” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said LAUSD’s desegregation program has “outlived its usefulness to the point of being unconstitutional.” The Michigan investigations remain ongoing, and the LAUSD case is pending in federal court. Representatives for the Michigan districts did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment. “Because this matter involves pending litigation, we are unable to comment on the specifics,” LAUSD said in a statement. “However, Los Angeles Unified remains firmly committed to ensuring all students have meaningful access to services and enriching educational opportunities.”
Democrats risk FEMA disaster funding collapse as DHS shutdown hits Day 5
Senate Democrats and the White House remain locked in a standoff over proposed reforms to immigration operations nationwide, a dispute that could carry unintended consequences for disaster response efforts. Without a fresh infusion of funding, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) could soon face constraints with its disaster relief operations. As hurricane season approaches, limited funding could hamper the agency’s ability to respond to major storms and other emergencies. The partial government shutdown affecting FEMA’s parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), entered its fifth day with no resolution in sight. GOP WARNS DEMOCRATS USING DHS SHUTDOWN TO STALL SENATE VOTER ID PUSH Before the shutdown began last week, a top FEMA official warned lawmakers that shuttering DHS could significantly strain the agency’s disaster response capabilities. Office of Response and Recovery Associate Administrator Gregg Phillips told a House panel examining the effects of a DHS shutdown that while FEMA’s disaster relief fund holds roughly $7 billion — enough to sustain emergency responses for the “foreseeable future” — a catastrophic event could quickly exhaust those resources. “That said, if a catastrophic disaster occurred, the [disaster relief fund] would be seriously strained,” Phillips said. For comparison, the federal government spent more than $50 billion on disaster relief during the last fiscal year. Phillips also noted that, during his nearly two-month tenure, FEMA had already spent $3 billion in 45 days on roughly 5,000 projects. THUNE GUARANTEES VOTER ID BILL TO HIT THE SENATE DESPITE SCHUMER, DEM OPPOSITION: ‘WE WILL HAVE A VOTE’ Earlier this week, President Donald Trump said FEMA would play a “key role” in responding to a sewage spill into the Potomac River, where roughly 200 million gallons of raw sewage poured into the waterway that runs through the nation’s capital. The cost of FEMA’s involvement in that cleanup effort has not yet been determined, a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital. The current DHS funding bill, which Senate Democrats rejected last week, includes roughly $26 billion for FEMA’s disaster relief fund. But negotiations remain stalled as Democrats push for reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ‘IT’S ABSURD’: DHS SHUTDOWN BEARS DOWN ON US AS LAWMAKERS JET OFF TO EUROPE There has been little progress this week. Congressional Democrats sent a counterproposal to the White House late Monday, responding to an offer from the administration made last week. A White House official told Fox News Digital “the parties are still pretty far apart.” “The administration remains interested in good-faith conversations to end the Democrat shutdown before more Americans feel the impacts,” the official said. “But the administration also remains committed to carrying out the president’s promise to enforce federal immigration law.” Spokespeople for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said congressional Democrats have “been clear for weeks about the reforms needed to rein in ICE and stop the violence.” “We’ve continued working through language and additional issues to make progress, but Republicans have largely ignored the core guardrails Americans are demanding,” they said. “Dems are negotiating in good faith. It’s time for Republicans to do the same.” Unless a deal is reached before next week, the Senate is expected to vote Monday on the original full-year DHS funding bill, a measure likely to be blocked again by Schumer and his caucus.
City-run board cancels lease of Israel drone supplier, sparking backlash toward Mamdani: ‘Ludicrous’
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism on social media after a Brooklyn navy yard controlled by the city dropped the lease of a company that sends drones to Israel, six weeks after Mamdani took office as mayor after running on a platform critical of Israel. The controversy stems from a move by the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corp. (BNYDC) declining to renew its lease with New York City drone manufacturer Easy Aerial, a company that provides drones to Israel’s military, the New York Post reported. The BNYDC is controlled by board members who serve at the pleasure of the mayor, and the move comes just over a month after Mamdani was sworn in on New Year’s Day after being widely criticized on the campaign trail for anti-Israel statements and positions. “Easy Aerial is leaving the Brooklyn Navy Yard,” NYC Democratic Councilman Lincoln Restler posted on X Thursday. “@BklynNavyYard leadership made the right decision last month to not renew their lease. This public asset should not be leasing space to companies producing drones that are being transformed into weapons of war.” MAMDANI’S ANTISEMITISM CZAR ONCE SLAMMED POST CONDEMNING HAMAS TERROR ATTACKS Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment on his role, if any, in the decision. Dating back to last year, anti-Israel protesters have been active at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, calling for the eviction of two tenants, Crye Precision and Easy Aerial, who do business with Israel, the Brooklyn Paper reported. In a statement to Fox News Digital, a BNYDC spokesperson said the decision was made in December and that Easy Aerial was notified in January. ISRAEL ACCUSES MAMDANI OF POURING ‘ANTISEMITIC GASOLINE’ AFTER HE REVOKES ADAMS’ EXECUTIVE ORDERS “BNYDC notified Easy Aerial at the beginning of the year that it would not renew its lease agreement for business reasons related to operational and campus compliance matters,” the spokesperson said. “Like any landlord, we evaluate renewals based on adherence to lease terms and campus policies. There were no other factors in our decision.” Dating back to his college days, when he founded his school’s Students for Justice In Palestine chapter, Mamdani has supported the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, an issue that came up many times on the campaign trail. In October, a resurfaced video from 2023 showed Mamdani calling to “end New York state subsidy of settler crimes.” Mamdani has faced criticism on social media over the board’s move as well as from One Israel Fund Executive Vice President Scott Feltman. “At a time when terrorists from Hamas are continually violating the ceasefire agreement and attempting to penetrate the buffer zone between Gaza and Israel, the mayor of New York has decided that a company which enables Israel to prevent such incursions is a threat to peace,” Feltman said. “It is ludicrous on every level and, in the end, New York loses out on another tax-paying company providing good, quality jobs for its residents.” Fox News Digital reached out to Easy Aerial for comment.
Fake police officers kidnapping Americans in Haiti, sparking renewed strong travel warning
Kidnappers posing as police officers are targeting victims in Haiti’s capital as ransom abductions spike in Port-au-Prince, prompting the U.S. Embassy to issue a fresh security warning urging Americans to limit travel and avoid driving alone. The embassy said there has been an increase in reported kidnappings for ransom, particularly in the Delmas area, with some assailants impersonating law enforcement to carry out abductions. U.S. officials urged Americans to limit all unnecessary travel, avoid traveling alone and inform someone of their movements and expected return times. “Do not drive alone,” the notice stated, reiterating that Haiti remains under a Level 4 – Do Not Travel advisory, the State Department’s highest warning level. UN STAFF IN HAITI TOLD TO STAY OFF STREETS AFTER GANG COALITION FLEXES MUSCLE, US MARINES FACE GUNFIRE Fox News Digital has reached out to the State Department for additional information on the matter. The warning comes weeks after the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince notified U.S. citizens of ongoing security operations north and south of the compound and in Croix-des-Bouquets after heavy gunfire was reported in the capital. The violence prompted U.S. government personnel to halt all movements, according to the State Department, and officials urged nearby American citizens to avoid the area and monitor local media for updates. OFFICIALS CHANGE TRAVEL ALERT FOR SPRING BREAK HOT SPOT WHILE WARNING OF ‘SEXUAL ASSAULTS’ Armed gangs control large portions of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas, according to the State Department and the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti. Croix-des-Bouquets, one of the areas referenced in the recent warning, has long been considered a stronghold of the 400 Mawozo gang. STATE DEPARTMENT ISSUES SECURITY ALERT AMID ‘HEAVY GUNFIRE’ NEAR US EMBASSY IN HAITI Joly Germine, 34, of Croix-des-Bouquets, was sentenced to life in prison in December for his role in the 2021 abduction of 16 American citizens, including five children, Fox News Digital previously reported. The victims, with Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries, were returning from an orphanage when they were taken hostage, according to the Justice Department. The alerts underscore the worsening security crisis in Port-au-Prince, where heavily armed gangs control large swaths of the city and kidnappings have become a major source of revenue for criminal groups. Ransom abductions have plagued Haiti for years, often targeting business owners, aid workers and foreign nationals perceived as able to pay. Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
Trump marks Black History Month, announces Medal of Freedom for Carson and praises Nicki Minaj
President Donald Trump announced that former Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a White House event marking the 100th anniversary of Black History Month as attendees at one point broke into chants of “four more years.” “Ben’s getting the Presidential Medal of Freedom,” Trump said. “It’s the highest award you can have outside of the Congressional Medal of Honor.” Trump said Carson would receive the nation’s top civilian honor at a future ceremony, telling him, “Ben, I’ll be seeing you back here pretty soon. I think you’re going to get the award.” The announcement came as Trump mixed tributes and cultural references with policy and political claims, including criminal justice reform, crime reduction and border enforcement while hosting “many exceptional African American leaders and patriots” at the White House. NICKI MINAJ BROKE FREE FROM IDENTITY POLITICS — AND THE LEFT CAN’T STAND IT Trump opened the event by noting, “We celebrate the 100th anniversary of Black History Month.” He then addressed the death of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, saying, “I wanted to begin by expressing a sadness that the passing of a person who was. I knew very well Jesse was a piece of work. He was a piece of work. But he was a good man. “I just want to pay my highest respects to Reverend Jesse Jackson,” Trump added, calling him “a real hero” and saying “he really was special, with lots of personality, grit and street smarts.” Trump introduced HUD Secretary Scott Turner and brought Carson to the front of the room, noting Carson had recommended Turner. Carson praised Turner’s role in opportunity zones, saying, “He was really the driving force behind the opportunity zones” and described Trump’s approach as “public private partnerships and had everybody with skin in the game.” TRUMP ALLY BEN CARSON SWORN IN AS NATIONAL ADVISOR FOR NUTRITION, HEALTH, AND HOUSING WITH USDA Moments later, Trump returned to Carson and elaborated on the award. “It’s better because, you know, a lot of people get the Congressional Medal of Honor, and they’re not around,” Trump said. “But it’s the highest award [for] a civilian.” After remarks from Leo Terrell whom Trump thanked, saying, “Leo, that was very good,” the crowd assembled broke into a chant of “four more years.” Later, while listing Black artists and athletes, Trump singled out rapper Nicki Minaj. NICKI MINAJ DOUBLES DOWN ON TRUMP SUPPORT AFTER BACKLASH, CALLS HERSELF HIS ‘NUMBER ONE FAN’ “I love Nicki Minaj. She was here a couple of weeks ago.” “So beautiful,” he added. “And she gets it. And, more importantly, she gets it.” Trump linked Wednesday’s celebration to a broader national moment, saying, “Black History Month is really all about American history” and referencing upcoming America250 programming. The President outlined a series of policy accomplishments for the black community, saying he “single-handedly secured record long-term funding for” historically Black colleges and universities. “We got criminal justice reform done,” he added. “Nobody thought it can be done.” ‘MELANIA’ WORLD PREMIERE: PRESIDENT TRUMP, FIRST LADY, RFK JR., NICKI MINAJ AND MANY MORE LIGHT UP RED CARPET Trump tied those policies to electoral performance, saying, “It’s no wonder that, in 2024, we won more African-American votes than any Republican president in history.” Trump also cited economic indicators, saying, “Earlier this month the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose above 50,000 for the first time ever. The S&P broke 7,000.” “More Americans are working today than at any time in American history,” he said. “Since I took office, African American employment has increased by 182,000.” The president also promoted a tax proposal, inviting a small business owner from Arkansas to speak. She told the audience, “No tax on tips has been an amazing blessing for me.” Trump later pivoted to crime and border enforcement, arguing “we need order,” and claiming, “Washington, D.C., is amazing. It was a crime capital. It was a horror show a year ago. It was really dangerous. And now it’s one of the safest cities anywhere in the country.” “We have the lowest murder numbers in 125 years since 1990,” he said. “Just one year ago, we had the absolute worst border that we’ve ever had, and now we have the safest border that we’ve ever had.” He also said he had “deployed the National Guard to bring back safety to Memphis and to New Orleans and Washington,” calling the Guard “incredible.” He also gave the floor to Alice Johnson, whom he described as the White House “pardon czar,” recounting her case. Johnson credited Trump with the First Step Act, saying, “President Trump did something historic in his first term. He signed the First Step Act into law. Over 40,000 individuals have come home to their families early.” Trump closed by calling the gathering “a very special group of people.” “So happy Black History Month, happy black history year and happy black history century,” he said.
Philanthropy group ripped for bankrolling ‘radical’ defund the police, anti-ICE groups: ‘Less safe’
A philanthropic organization known as Coefficient Giving, which is mainly funded by liberal billionaire Dustin Moskovitz and his wife Cari Tuna, is being knocked for quietly funding a slate of “radical projects” and donating millions to defund the police groups, anti-ICE initiatives and other progressive causes over the course of several years. Before changing its name from Open Philanthropy to Coefficient Giving and divesting from its “criminal justice reform” initiatives to a split-off group called “Just Impact,” Open Philanthropy awarded hundreds of grants to primarily far-left groups in that category over six years. Among the groups that Open Philanthropy donated to were JustLeadershipUSA, a group that compares the criminal justice system to slavery, Color of Change, a staunch defund the police advocate, People’s Action, which has claimed law enforcement was waging a “war against Black people,” and Fair and Just Prosecution, an advocate for eliminating cash bail. CCP-CONNECTED MILLIONAIRE ALLEGEDLY BANKROLLS MINNEAPOLIS AGITATOR GROUPS THROUGH DARK MONEY NETWORK The group also made donations to the Free Migration Project, which has called for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the National Bail Fund Network, a coalition of groups that helped bail participants of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. After Minnesota activist Renee Good was killed by an ICE agent earlier this year, Free Migration Project posted on their Instagram that “ICE and Border Patrol cannot be reformed. They must be abolished.” Remarking on the donations, Curtis Schube, director of research and policy at the Center to Advance Security in America, slammed Open Philanthropy, saying the group “quietly funds all kinds of radical projects, including those that eliminate bail demands for criminals and that seek to defund the police.” “These aims are the opposite of social welfare,” said Schube. “They make society less safe and harm the very communities they claim to be concerned about.” The group that Open Philanthropy awarded the highest amount of money to was the Alliance for Safety and Justice, a progressive organization that advocates for replacing incarceration with community-led safety strategies and trauma recovery services. The group received a total of $11,750,000.00 from Open Philanthropy through just three donations between 2016 and 2018. Open Philanthropy gave $4,440,000.00 to JustLeadershipUSA, whose president, DeAnna Hoskins, previously emphasized the need to defund the police, framing it as a “divestment from law and order to an investment in protection in thriving communities.” A spokesperson for Coefficient Giving clarified that the group’s donations “supported a variety of projects designed to improve public safety, reduce government spending, and keep families together.” The spokesperson said the group ceased these types of donations in 2021. The group’s website states that the criminal legal system is “part of a much larger system of oppression that disproportionately plagues Black, Brown, and poor communities.” Further, JustLeadershipUSA’s website states that the carceral system “is in fact a dumping ground for the country’s other failed systems” and “contains strong remnants of slavery.” FOREIGN BILLIONAIRES FUNNEL $2.6B TO US ADVOCACY GROUPS TO INFLUENCE POLICY, WATCHDOG REPORT CLAIMS The website states the group is committed to “disrupting” the carceral system that it says, “like slavery, is based on the subjugation of those under its control.” Open Philanthropy gave $3,259,100 to Color of Change and its affiliated entities. In 2021, a Color of Change campaign director advocated for “no more police and no more mass incarceration,” and pressed New York City to cut $1 billion from the police. The group has advocated to “defund the police,” also supporting diverting police funds in Minneapolis. In 2021, the Color of Change also released a statement urging Facebook to “permanently ban” President Donald Trump from the platform and to “take action against his enablers.” People’s Action, meanwhile, received $1,927,640 from Open Philanthropy. In 2020, People’s Action declared its endorsement of the Movement for Black Lives, a self-proclaimed “anti-capitalist” group. In its statement announcing the endorsement, People’s Action called for “an end to the war against Black people” and demanded schools, colleges, universities and “all public institutions cut ties with the police.” The group wrote that “police do not keep us safe, and incremental reforms cannot change a pervasive culture of police violence against Black people.” In Jan. 2026, the People’s Action sent out a press release urging “immediate action to defund ICE & border patrol and get ICE & border patrol out of Minnesota, Maine, and communities across the country.” Open Philanthropy donated $3 million to Fair And Just Prosecution, a criminal justice reform group that in 2018 co-developed a training model geared towards the offices of newly elected prosecutors that is said was “committed to a justice system that moves away from past incarceration-driven practices and towards principles of equity, fairness, and compassion.” The group has praised state legislation ending cash bail. In 2021, the group lauded an Illinois bill ending cash bail as a “necessary and long overdue” change. A spokesperson for Fair and Just Prosecution told Fox News Digital that the group “supports a peer-driven community of local elected prosecutors working toward a justice system that prioritizes public safety grounded in fairness, equity, fiscal responsibility, and humanity.” Open Philanthropy also seeded the National Bail Fund Network with a $404,800 grant. The network went on to raise millions after the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported in 2023 that some of the defendants helped by bail funds from the group went on to commit violent crimes. FAR-LEFT AGITATOR WHO ORGANIZED MN CHURCH STORMING RAKED IN OVER $1 MILLION FROM ANTI-POVERTY NONPROFIT Open Philanthropy donated $24,000 to the Free Migration Project, a group whose executive director, David Bennion, has previously stated that “ICE should not only be abolished, but its core function of imprisoning and deporting non-citizens must also be eliminated.” Bennion has argued that deportation is “not just cruel and economically counterproductive,” but also claimed it is “inconsistent with basic justice and has no place in a legal system predicated on coherent moral principles.” Though the $130 million donated by Open Philanthropy for criminal justice
Rubio holding secret talks with Raul Castro’s grandson over Cuba’s future: report
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reportedly been holding secret talks with the grandson of Raul Castro, the former President of Cuba. The talks between Rubio and Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro are bypassing official Cuban government channels, Axios reported. “Our position — the U.S. government’s position — is the regime has to go,” a senior official told the news outlet. “But what exactly that looks like is up to [President Trump] and he has yet to decide. Rubio is still in talks with the grandson.” TRUMP SAYS CUBA IS ‘READY TO FALL’ AFTER CAPTURE OF VENEZUELA’S MADURO “I wouldn’t call these ‘negotiations’ as much as ‘discussions’ about the future,” the official added. Earlier this month, Cuban despot Miguel Díaz-Canel warned his country is “close to failing” as the U.S. shuts off commercial valves vital to its survival, such as fuel and food, followed by nearly 70 years of one-party communist rule. Cuba’s power grid is failing, hospitals are short of necessary supplies and garbage has piled up on the streets. MADURO AND ‘LADY MACBETH’ CILIA FLORES MARRIAGE SPELLS ‘WORST CASE’ CUSTODY SCENARIO The Trump administration has ratcheted up pressure on the communist-run island in recent weeks, following the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a Cuban ally. The administration has accused Havana of cozying up to U.S. adversaries and terrorist groups. Fox News Digital has reached out to the State Department. The White House referred Fox News Digital to press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s remarks on Tuesday, in which she said Havana needs to make serious changes. “They are a regime that is falling,” she said. “Their country is collapsing, and that’s why we believe it’s in their best interest to make very dramatic changes very soon. And we’ll see what they decide to do.”
Trump lauds ‘piece of work’ Jesse Jackson at ‘sold-out’ Black History Month event
President Donald Trump praised civil rights activist Jesse Jackson as a “real hero” during a White House Black History Month event Wednesday, just a day after Jackson’s death. “I wanted to begin by expressing a sadness that the passing of a person who was. I knew very well Jesse was a piece of work. He was a piece of work. But he was a good man. He was a real hero,” Trump said Wednesday, earning cheers from the audience. Trump hosted leaders from the Black community at the White House Wednesday to honor Black History Month. He remarked as the event kicked off that there was a “sold-out crowd” and that the White House ballroom under construction would accommodate far more people. VANCE, HARRIS, OBAMA ISSUE TRIBUTES TO REV JESSE JACKSON Trump had lamented Jackson’s death in a prior Truth Social post Tuesday, elaborating on Wednesday that their relationship got “better and better all the time.” “A lot of people you get to know, they get worse and worse. Jesse got better and better. But I knew him well long before becoming president, and he really was special with lots of personality, grit and street smarts,” Trump continued. Jackson, 84, died Tuesday. His cause of death has not been publicly released, but he had suffered from health issues, including living with a rare neurological condition. RICHARD FOWLER: I RAN INTO JESSE JACKSON — AND INTO HISTORY: THE MAN WHO SHAPED A NATION Jackson was a two-time Democratic presidential candidate and longtime civil rights leader who joined Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s before King’s assassination and was the founder of civil rights group Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER REV JESSE JACKSON DEAD AT 84 AND MORE TOP HEADLINES “I will tell you, he was gregarious and someone who truly loved people and a force of nature who is somebody that we’re going to greatly miss. And on behalf of everyone here today, I know you join me in sending our condolences to the entire family,” Trump continued. Wednesday’s event included celebrating the legacy of Black Americans and economic wins under the Trump administration and Trump reigniting his 2025 announcement that former Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, who served during Trump’s first term, would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. “Ben’s getting the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It’s the highest award you can have outside of the Congressional Medal of Honor,” Trump said.
Russia-Ukraine talks: All the mediation efforts, and where they stand
One week ahead of the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, United States-led peace talks in Geneva ended for the day earlier than scheduled on Wednesday. The talks, which are being mediated by Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, are just the latest of a number of attempts to end the deadliest fighting in Europe since World War II – and none have reached a breakthrough. During his presidential campaign in 2024, Trump claimed repeatedly that he would broker a ceasefire in Ukraine within “24 hours”. However, he has been unable to fulfil this promise. Here is a timeline of the mediation efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, which has killed more than a million people, as it heads towards its fifth year. Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of a Russian strike on a private residential building in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, on February 12, 2026, amid the ongoing Russian invasion [Tommaso Fumagalli/EPA] February 28, 2022 – direct talks The first ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine took place just four days after Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. The meeting lasted about five hours, and featured high-level officials, but with diametrically opposing goals. Nothing came of their talks. Then, the two sides held three rounds of direct talks in Belarus, ending on March 7, but, again, nothing was agreed. March-April 2022 – regional talks in Antalya On March 10, the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Russia, Dmytro Kuleba and Sergey Lavrov, met for the first time since the war started, on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkiye. Advertisement A second meeting between senior leaders in Istanbul towards the end of the month failed to secure a ceasefire. Then, the withdrawal of Russian forces in early April from parts of Ukraine revealed evidence of massacres committed against the Ukrainian civilian population in Bucha and Irpin near Kyiv, in northern Ukraine. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this would make negotiations much more difficult, but that it was necessary to persist with the dialogue. Russian President Vladimir Putin later declared the negotiations were at a “dead end” as a result of Ukraine’s allegations of war crimes. A serviceman of Ukraine’s coast guard mans a gun on a patrol boat as a cargo ship passes by in the Black Sea, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, February 7, 2024 [Thomas Peter/Reuters] July 2022 – Black Sea Grain Initiative, Istanbul In July 2022, the Black Sea Grain Initiative was signed by Ukraine and Russia with Turkiye and the United Nations in Istanbul. It was the most significant diplomatic breakthrough for the first year of the war. The agreement aimed to prevent a global food crisis by designating a safe maritime humanitarian corridor through the Black Sea for cargoes of millions of tons of grain stuck in Ukrainian ports. November 2022 – Ukraine’s peace plan Ukraine’s Zelenskyy presented a 10-point peace proposal at the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Indonesia, within which he called for Russia’s withdrawal from all Ukrainian territory as well as measures to ensure radiation and nuclear safety, food security, and protection for Ukraine’s grain exports. He also demanded energy security and the release of all Ukrainian prisoners and deportees, including war prisoners and children deported to Russia. Russia rejected Zelenskyy’s peace proposal, reiterating that it would not give up any territory it had taken by force, which stood at about one-fifth of Ukraine by then. February 2023 – China’s peace plan China proposed a 12-point peace plan calling for a ceasefire and the end of “unilateral sanctions” that had been imposed by Western nations on Russia. Beijing urged both sides to resume talks on the basis that “the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries must be effectively upheld”. The proposal was criticised by Western allies of Kyiv for not acknowledging “Russia’s violation of Ukrainian sovereignty”. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the audience during a session at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Saturday, February 14, 2026 [File: Michael Probst/AP] June 2023 – Africa’s peace plan In June 2023, a high-level delegation of African leaders, led by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and including the presidents of Senegal and Zambia, visited both Kyiv and St Petersburg to present a 10-point plan focusing on de-escalation and grain exports. Advertisement Analysts said it was driven largely by the war’s impact on African food security and fertiliser prices. But Ukrainian President Zelenskyy rejected the call for “de-escalation”, arguing that a ceasefire without a Russian withdrawal would simply “freeze” the war. The following month, President Putin pulled Russia out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. August 2023 – Jeddah summit Saudi Arabia hosted representatives from 40 countries to discuss Zelenskyy’s “Peace Formula”, but no final agreement or joint statement was reached. In a major surprise, Beijing sent its special envoy, Li Hui, to the talks. But Russia was not invited, and the Kremlin said the efforts would fail. People walk among debris of a local market close to damaged residential buildings at the site of a Russian attack in Odesa, Ukraine on February 12, 2026 [File: Oleksandr Gimanov/AFP] June 2024 – Switzerland peace summit The June 2024 Summit on Peace in Ukraine, held at Switzerland’s Burgenstock resort, brought together more than 90 nations to discuss a framework for ending the conflict in Ukraine. The summit focused on nuclear safety, food security and prisoner exchanges, though Russia was not invited, and several nations, including India and Saudi Arabia, did not sign the final joint communique. February 2025 – Trump-Putin call A month after beginning his second term as US president, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that he held a long phone call with his Russian counterpart, Putin, in a bid to restart direct negotiations aimed at ending the war. On February 18, delegations from Washington and the Kremlin, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, met in Saudi Arabia. They laid the
Real Madrid’s Vinicius to have alleged racist abuse investigated by UEFA
Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior alleges racist abuse against Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni in the UEFA Champions League. Listen to this article Listen to this article | 2 mins info Published On 18 Feb 202618 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share UEFA will “investigate allegations of discriminatory behaviour” after Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior accused Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni of racially abusing him during a Champions League match in Lisbon. Tuesday’s first leg of the knockout phase playoff tie was stopped for more than 10 minutes after Vinicius complained to French referee Francois Letexier about the alleged abuse following a confrontation between him and Prestianni. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list That came just moments after Brazil international Vinicius scored the only goal in a 1-0 win before picking up a yellow card after celebrating in front of the home crowd at the Estadio da Luz. UEFA, the sport’s governing body in Europe, confirmed its investigation on Wednesday. After arguing with Prestianni, Vinicius ran over to the referee and told him that he had been called “mono”, the Spanish word for monkey, by the Argentinian midfielder. The 20-year-old Prestianni, who covered his mouth with his shirt as he appeared to say something to Vinicius, denies racially abusing the Real Madrid star. Real’s England full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold said the incident had left a sour taste in the mouth. “It’s disgusting. What’s happened tonight is a disgrace for football. It’s ruined the night for the team,” he said. Real forward Kylian Mbappe called on Prestianni to be banned. “We cannot accept there’s a player playing in Europe’s best competition and behaving like this,” the France captain told reporters. “This guy doesn’t deserve to play in the Champions League again.” Advertisement Benfica coach Jose Mourinho hit out at Vinicius for inciting Benfica’s players and fans with his celebration. “When you score a goal like that, you celebrate in a respectful way,” said the Portuguese. British football anti-discrimination body Kick It Out criticised Mourinho’s reaction and accused him of “gaslighting”. “When anyone reports discrimination in football, or anywhere, the first priority is that they are listened to and feel supported,” it said in a statement. “Focusing on Vinicius Jr’s goal celebration or the history of the club, instead of acknowledging the report, is a form of gaslighting. “This approach not only harms the individual affected but also sends the wrong message to others around the world who may have experienced similar situations.” Adblock test (Why?)