Listen to this issue.

0:00

/6:39

1×

MIDDLE EAST | Updates from regional tensions:

• A new round of Oman-mediated indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran is underway in Geneva today amidst the continued buildup of U.S. forces in the Middle East. Iranian officials say today's talks will focus exclusively on Tehran's nuclear program and suggest that an immediate deal with the U.S. is possible if discussions are centered solely on Iran's commitment not to develop nuclear weapons. [more]
• Ahead of today's indirect U.S.-Iran talks in Geneva, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced a new round of sanctions yesterday on 30 Iranian people, companies, and ships accused of enabling Iran’s ballistic missile program, drone production, and illicit oil sales. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1,461 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here is your update:

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia targeted critical infrastructure and residential areas in eight Ukrainian region with 420 drones and 39 missiles overnight ahead of today's U.S.-Ukraine talks in Geneva. [more]

U.S. AND CUBA | Cuban government officials say four exiles were killed, and six others were injured, yesterday as they approached Cuba's shore aboard a Florida-registered speedboat and opened fire on a Cuban patrol. Cuban authorities are reported to have told U.S. officials that the group included anti-government Cubans who were dressed in camouflage and armed with assault rifles, handguns, homemade explosives, ballistic vests, and telescopic sights and who were attempting to infiltrate Cuba to carry out terrorist attacks. Reports cite U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio as saying the incident was not a U.S. operation and that independent U.S. investigations into the incident will take place. [more]

U.S. ECONOMY | In its latest assessment of the world's largest economy, the International Monetary Fund projected yesterday that the "buoyant" U.S. economy's gross domestic product will grow 2.4% in the fourth quarter of 2026 compared to the last quarter of 2025, and that U.S. unemployment will drop from 4.5% in late 2025 to 4.1% in 2026. IMF analysts warned, however, of ongoing risks from steadily rising U.S. federal government debt levels and tariff-related trade instability. [IMF summary report] [more]

EPSTEIN INVESTIGATIONS | The U.S. Justice Department said yesterday that it is investigating whether documents mentioning President Donald Trump were improperly withheld from the millions of pages released related to investigations into late financier and convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The probe comes after multiple media outlets, including NPR and the New York Times, reported that some records involving uncorroborated accusations made against Trump were not among those released to the public. [more]

MORE EPSTEIN INVESTIGATIONS | Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are scheduled to testify remotely today and tomorrow before closed-door hearings of the House Oversight Committee, which subpoenaed the two as part of its probe into late financier and convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. [more]

TRUMP INVESTIGATIONS | Media reports cite unnamed agency sources as saying the FBI has fired as many as 10 additional agents who took part in special counsel Jack Smith's investigations into President Donald Trump's alleged possession of classified documents at his Florida estate following his first term in office. Additional reports also suggest the fired agents were involved in an alleged action during the Biden administration in which the phone records of current FBI Director Kash Patel and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles were subpoenaed as part of Smith's investigations. [more]

U.S. MEDICAID | Vice President JD Vance and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz announced yesterday that the Trump administration will temporarily halt portions of Medicaid funding to Minnesota over fraud concerns. Reports say about $259 million in Medicaid funding to Minnesota will be held back until, according to Oz, state officials "propose and act on a comprehensive corrective action plan to solve the problem." Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has insisted the administration's actions are not related to fraud but rather are part of a "campaign of retribution" against states that do not support President Donald Trump's policies. [more]

U.S. EMPLOYMENT | Labor Department data released today shows that 212,000 people filed initial claims for unemployment benefits in the week ended February 21 – up 4,000 from the previous week – and that continuing claims fell 31,000 during the week ended February 14 to a seasonally adjusted 1.833 million. [full report] [more]

INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION | The U.N.'s International Organization for Migration said today that at least 7,667 people died or went missing along dangerous international migration routes in 2025. IOM Director General Amy Pope noted in a statement that the number of such deaths is likely much higher but that fundings cuts have limited related humanitarian access and accurate tracking. [more]

VENEZUELA | Attorneys for former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro say U.S. officials are blocking Venezuela's government from paying the cost of Maduro's defense against drug trafficking charges in New York. Analysts suggest the U.S. action could be related to potential complications to prosecutors' contention that Maduro was illegitimately serving as a head of state when captured by U.S. forces and was, therefore, not immune from prosecution under U.S. and international law. [more]

NORTH KOREA | Concluding North Korea's week-long Workers' Party Congress, leader Kim Jong Un said today that his country could "completely destroy" South Korea if faced with security threats and called for increased development of his country's nuclear-armed military, including of intercontinental ballistic missiles that could be launched from underwater. [more]

DENMARK | Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called today for early elections, saying the people of Denmark need to signal their views on Danish and European security and that whether she continues as prime minister depends on how strong a mandate is given to the Social Democrat-led coalition government. [more]

SOUTH KOREA | Government officials have announced the relaunch of South Korea's Truth and Reconciliation Commission into past human rights violations. The country's third such commission will focus on continuing fraud and malfeasance investigations into the country's historic foreign adoption program. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | Forced to abdicate as French emperor in 1814, Napoleon escaped from exile on the island of Elba on this date in 1815. Gathering support en route, he retook power on his return to Paris on March 20, ushering in the Hundred Days. [more history]