Top U.S. & World Headlines — February 26, 2026

Indirect negotiations between the US and Iran began in Geneva regarding Iran's nuclear program. However, these talks are severely strained by President Trump's order for the largest US military deployment to the Middle East since 2003, and new sanctions on 30 individuals involved in Iran's oil sales and weapons production. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araji explicitly stated that the memory and 'wounds' of a US-Israeli military strike against Iran last June are still fresh, complicating trust in negotiations.

US and Iranian negotiators have begun indirect negotiations in Geneva over Iran's nuclear program after President Trump ordered the largest deployment of US forces to the Middle East... the Trump administration imposed new sanctions on 30 people... Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araji stated, 'We were negotiating last June uh when Israel attacked us and then the US joined that attack. So that memory is still fresh for us. The wounds of that aggression is still alive in our minds.'

Cuba is experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis, particularly a fuel shortage, directly attributed to the US oil blockade. This has prompted international responses, with Mexico dispatching over 1,000 tons of humanitarian aid, Russia discussing fuel provision, and Canada pledging food aid. This situation follows a violent incident where four Cuban exiles were killed in a shootout with Cuban border guards, who claimed the exiles were attempting 'infiltration with terrorist ends' with weapons and Molotov cocktails.

Caribbean leaders who expressed alarm over the growing humanitarian crisis in Cuba due to the US oil blockade that's cut off the island from desperately needed fuel. On Wednesday, two Mexican Navy ships departed from Vera Cruz with over 1,000 tons of humanitarian aid for Cuba. Russian officials say they're discussing the possibility of providing fuel to Cuba. And on Wednesday, Canada became the latest country to pledge food aid to Cuba. Four Cuban exiles were killed Wednesday in a shootout between Cuban border guards and a US speedboat carrying 10 Cuban exiles... The Cuban government says the men were attempting to carry out quote an infiltration with terrorist ends unquote.

The Epstein scandal continues to have significant repercussions, with a New York Times review revealing that key FBI documents related to a woman who accused Donald Trump of assaulting her as a minor are missing from the Justice Department's release of Epstein files. These missing documents are summaries of four FBI interviews conducted in 2019. Concurrently, several prominent figures, including former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, former Senator Bob Kerry, Nobel laureate Richard Axel, and World Economic Forum CEO Bouja Brenda, have resigned from their positions due to their associations with Jeffrey Epstein. Bill Gates also apologized to his foundation staff for his ties to Epstein.

A New York Times review finds key documents related to a woman who accused Donald Trump of assaulting her when she was a minor are missing from the Justice Department's release of the Epstein files... Larry Summers said he'll resign as a professor at Harvard University... Bob Kerry... resigned from his role as chair of the company Monolith... Nobel laurate Richard Axel also announced his resignation as co-director of Columbia University's Neuroscience Institute... The president and CEO of the World Economic Forum, Bouja Brenda, said he was resigning... Bill Gates has apologized to his staff of the Charitable Foundation over his ties to Epstein.

President Trump's Surgeon General nominee, Casey Means, a wellness influencer and entrepreneur, declined to encourage childhood vaccinations against measles and influenza during her Senate confirmation hearing. Means, who has a medical degree but did not complete her surgical residency and let her license expire, repeatedly evaded direct questions about vaccine efficacy. Separately, the AI company Anthropic dropped its core safety pledge after Defense Secretary Pete Hexth issued an ultimatum, threatening to cancel a $200 million Pentagon contract and invoke the Defense Production Act to force the company to tailor its AI models for military use, despite CEO Dario Amade's previous warnings against such applications.

President Trump's nominee to become the next US Surgeon General... declined to encourage parents to have their kids vaccinated against measles and influenza. Casey Means is a wellness influencer... Under questioning from Senator Tim Kaine, Means repeatedly refused to state whether she agreed with health secretary RFK Jr. that there's no evidence flu vaccines prevent serious disease... The artificial intelligence company Anthropic is dropping its core safety pledge... The company's reversal comes after defense secretary Pete Hexth issued an ultimatum to anthropic CEO Dario Amade to grant the Pentagon full access to the company's AI models by Friday.