Top U.S. & World Headlines — February 10, 2026
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖The Pentagon conducted 38 strikes since September, killing at least 130 people labeled 'narco-terrorists' without evidence or arrests, drawing condemnation from Amnesty International.
- ❖US sanctions have caused Cuba to run out of fuel for commercial aviation, with Mexico suspending oil exports under US pressure.
- ❖Israel's security cabinet approved measures to expand power in the West Bank and facilitate settler land seizures, denounced by Muslim-majority countries.
- ❖An Al Jazeera investigation found US-supplied thermal and thermobaric munitions evaporated nearly 3,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023.
- ❖Ghislaine Maxwell refused to answer questions in a closed-door deposition, with lawmakers suggesting her silence could be 'bought through clemency' by Donald Trump.
- ❖The Trump administration plans to end the Obama-era scientific determination that greenhouse gas emissions endanger public health, eliminating climate standards for vehicles.
- ❖New York nurses reached tentative deals with Mount Sinai and Montefiore, securing 12% salary increases, improved staffing, and AI guard rails.
- ❖San Francisco public schools are closed due to the city's first teacher strike in nearly 50 years, demanding fully funded healthcare, special education improvements, and salary increases.
Insights
1US Military Conducts Deadly Strikes and Economic Interventions
The Pentagon reported blowing up a boat in the Eastern Pacific, killing two and leaving one survivor, as part of 38 strikes since September that have killed at least 130 people labeled 'narco-terrorists' without evidence or arrests. Amnesty International condemned these actions as murder. Concurrently, US forces boarded a tanker carrying Venezuelan oil to China, marking at least the eighth such intervention since the Trump administration moved to control Venezuela's oil supply.
Pentagon's social media video, Southcom's statement, Amnesty International's condemnation, US forces boarding tanker.
2US Sanctions Trigger Cuban Fuel Crisis and Mexican Compliance
Cuba's government announced it ran out of fuel for commercial aviation, leading to flight cancellations and further damage to its tourism-dependent economy. This shortage is attributed to the Trump administration's efforts to shut off energy supplies to Cuba from Venezuela and other sources, aiming to overthrow the Cuban government. Mexico's government subsequently suspended oil exports to Cuba after intense pressure and tariff threats from the Trump administration, opting instead to send humanitarian goods.
Cuban government announcement, Air Canada cancellations, Trump administration's policy, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's statement.
3Israel Expands West Bank Control Amidst Gaza Casualties and International Protests
Israel's security cabinet approved new measures to expand its power across the occupied West Bank, making it easier for settlers to seize Palestinian land. Eight Muslim-majority countries denounced this as 'unlawful Israeli sovereignty.' A White House official indicated Trump's opposition to West Bank annexation for regional stability. Meanwhile, Israeli attacks in Gaza killed at least seven Palestinians in 24 hours, with an Al Jazeera investigation revealing US-supplied thermal and thermobaric munitions 'evaporated' nearly 3,000 Palestinians since October 2023. Protests against Israeli President Isaac Herzog occurred in Sydney, Australia, where police used excessive force against demonstrators.
Israeli security cabinet approval, statements from Muslim-majority countries, White House official's comment, Al Jazeera investigation, Sydney protest reports.
4Ghislaine Maxwell's Silence and Redactions in Epstein Files Raise Clemency Concerns
Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's convicted associate, repeatedly pleaded the Fifth Amendment during a closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee. Democratic Congress member Melanie Stansbury suggested Maxwell used the opportunity to signal her availability for clemency from Donald Trump. Lawmakers, including Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, criticized the Justice Department for major redactions in the Epstein files, hindering efforts to identify men involved in Epstein's trafficking network.
Maxwell's Fifth Amendment pleas, Congress member Stansbury's statement, Congress members Khanna and Massie's comments.
5US Immigration Policies Target Activists and Face Legal Challenges
A federal judge struck down a California law banning federal immigration agents from wearing masks, ruling it discriminatory, but upheld a separate law requiring all law enforcement to display IDs. Separately, Lea Cordia, a Palestinian woman hospitalized from a seizure in an ICE jail, had her release on bond repeatedly blocked by the Department of Homeland Security despite court orders. An immigration judge rejected the Trump administration's attempt to deport Tufts University student Romesa Turk, who was arrested for co-authoring an editorial criticizing the university's response to Israel's war on Gaza.
US District Judge Christina Snyder's ruling, reports on Lea Cordia's detention and DHS actions, immigration judge's ruling on Romesa Turk, Oz Turk's statement.
6Trump Administration Moves to Roll Back Climate Regulations
The Trump administration is reportedly planning to formally end the Obama-era scientific determination that greenhouse gas emissions endanger public health. This finding is the basis for a 2009 rule allowing the EPA to set limits on greenhouse gas pollution from vehicles and power plants. While likely to face legal challenges, its repeal would immediately eliminate climate standards for passenger cars and commercial trucks.
Wall Street Journal report, details of the Obama-era finding and its implications.
7Major Labor Strikes Continue in New York and San Francisco
Over 10,000 nurses in New York, on strike since January 12th, reached tentative deals with Mount Sinai and Montefiore hospitals. These agreements include 12% salary increases over three years, improved staffing levels, enhanced workplace safety, and guard rails on AI use. However, approximately 5,000 nurses remain on strike at New York Presbyterian Hospitals. In San Francisco, public schools closed for a second day due to a strike by 6,000 educators, the city's first teacher strike in nearly half a century. The union demands fully funded family healthcare, special education improvements, and salary increases without concessions.
New York State Nurses Association announcement, reports on San Francisco teacher strike, Megan Adams' (Smart Union Local 1741) statement.
Lessons
- Demand accountability from the Pentagon and Congress regarding US military strikes in the Eastern Pacific, especially concerning civilian casualties and lack of evidence for 'narco-terrorist' labels.
- Advocate for an end to US sanctions that are causing humanitarian crises, such as the fuel shortage in Cuba, and pressure governments to prioritize civilian well-being over political objectives.
- Support organizations like Amnesty International and human rights groups monitoring and condemning actions that violate international law, such as Israel's expansion in the West Bank and the use of extreme munitions in Gaza.
- Push for transparency and full disclosure of the Jeffrey Epstein files, demanding that all redacted names of individuals involved in trafficking be published.
- Monitor and challenge US immigration policies that target activists, block legal releases, or discriminate against federal officers, ensuring due process and human rights are upheld.
- Engage in advocacy against the rollback of environmental protections, particularly the Trump administration's plan to eliminate the greenhouse gas endangerment finding, to protect public health and address climate change.
- Support ongoing labor strikes by nurses and educators, advocating for fair contracts that include better wages, improved staffing, workplace safety, and fully funded benefits.
Quotes
"This sanction being imposed on countries that sell oil to Cuba is very unjust, very unfair. It's not right because sanctions that affect the people are not right. You can agree or disagree with Cuba's government, but the people should never be affected."
"A stable West Bank keeps Israel secure and is in line with this administration's goal to achieve peace in the region."
"Her silence can be bought through clemency. It is very clear that that is the message that she is trying to send directly to Donald Trump himself directly."
"We all live paycheck to paycheck. This is something that I know is a sacrifice for all of us, but it's, you know what, we all know that the district has the money. This is something that's been proven time and time again. They need to come to the table and they need to make a deal and get our EDUCATORS AND OUR SCHOOLS back open."
Q&A
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