U.S. Says Staff Can Leave Israel, Urging Speed, as Possible Iran Strike Looms  —  In an email to embassy workers Friday morning, Ambassador Mike Huckabee warned them that if they wanted to leave Israel, they “should do so TODAY.”  —  With the threat of a U.S. strike on Iran looming …

For CNN, a Change in Ownership Means a Suddenly Uncertain Future  —  Paramount's apparent victory over Netflix in securing Warner Bros. Discovery has led to concerns within the CNN newsroom.  —  Once again, CNN is facing an uncertain fate.  —  Netflix's stunning surrender on Thursday …

New poll: Democrats' real problem isn't being too liberal — it's being seen as too weak  —  This article is the last in a four-part series presenting findings from the latest Strength In Numbers/Verasight poll, conducted February 18-20 among 1,566 U.S. adults.  The margin of error is +/- 2.5 percentage points.

A new poll shows just how quickly Israel has lost America's sympathy  —  For the first time, a Gallup survey found more Americans sympathize with Palestinians than Israelis in the long-running Middle East conflict, a watershed moment in relations between the US and one of its closest — but most controversial — allies.

Senate Dems ramp up pressure for tariff refunds … Two dozen Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), are sending a letter today to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent demanding that tariff refunds begin immediately.  —  The Supreme Court struck …

Lawmakers say US military used laser to take down Border Protection drone  —  The U.S. military used a laser Thursday to shoot down a Customs and Border Protection drone, according to members of Congress, and the Federal Aviation Administration responded by closing more airspace near El Paso, Texas.

911 calls capture kids burning with fever, struggling to breathe at ICE detention center  —  EMS crews were called to the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas at least 11 times since September for children in medical distress, records show.  — ADD NBC NEWS TO GOOGLE

SecDef Hegseth Announces Trans Scouts In Scouting America Will Be Outed, Segregated  —  The policy is the latest in a trend of organizations capitulating to Trump over transgender people. … Nine years ago, the Boy Scouts of America announced that it would begin accepting transgender youth into the program.

Kansas revokes driver's licenses from trans residents in latest assault on rights  —  Law demanding IDs match ‘sex at birth’ also includes bathroom ban provision for trans people in public buildings  —  Transgender Kansas residents have begun receiving letters from the state's department …

Democrats say they have the votes to subpoena Lutnick in Epstein probe  —  Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee have the votes to force Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to testify before their panel about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein …

New ACLU Report Reveals How the Trump Administration is Using Local Police to Build a National Deportation-Policing Force Through the 287(g) Program  —  Report Finds At Least 77.2 Million People Live in Counties Where Local Law Enforcement Participates in the Program

Green party wins Gorton and Denton byelection, pushing Labour to third place  —  Hannah Spencer elected as party's first MP in northern England as vote share for Keir Starmer's party plummets  —  The Green party has pulled off a landmark victory in the Gorton and Denton byelection …

Crenshaw has Texas primary problems … House GOP leaders are growing increasingly concerned about Crenshaw's fate next Tuesday as he faces a strong challenge from state Rep. Steve Toth. … That's a clear sign that the incumbent's allies see the challenger as a serious threat, even though Toth has spent very little money himself.

Trump Media & Technology Group in talks to spin off Truth Social  —  Trump Media & Technology Group said Friday it is in talks to spin off Truth Social into a new publicly traded company. … - TMTG businesses including Truth Social would merge with a blank-check company called Texas Ventures Acquisition III Corp.

Timeline: Burmese refugee's arrest to death  —  Police body camera footage of confrontation between police and Nurul Amin Shah Alam in February of last year.  —  Buffalo police last year Tasered, beat and arrested the Burmese refugee who was found dead Tuesday in downtown …

Elon Musk's Secret Web of Companies in Texas  —  The megabillionaire was tied to about 90 companies in the state, which he uses for everything from paying nannies to buying land to supporting Donald Trump's re-election, according to a Times examination.  —  In 2020, Elon Musk announced …

‘ICE will comply’: Top Minnesota judge threatens criminal contempt for continued defiance … “The Court is not aware of another occasion in the history of the United States in which a federal court has had to threaten contempt — again and again and again — to force the United States government …

Trump-MAHA split complicates midterm agenda  —  The Trump administration's 2026 health care agenda is shaping up to look pretty different from last year's — and that's not going over very well with some of the “Make America Healthy Again” faithful. … - But there's still plenty …

Same Brutal ICE.  Now Stealthier.  —  What approach should Donald Trump take to rigging this year's midterms?  A coalition of hardcore MAGA activists has a few ideas.  The Washington Post reports that activists “who say they are in coordination with the White House” are circulating …

MAGA media provocateur Nick Shirley boosted an antisemitic video.  It was only a matter of time.  —  Shirley, who helped spur the federal crackdown in Minneapolis, promoted and defended a video from Tyler Oliveira titled “I Exposed New Jersey's Jewish Invasion...”  —  RESEARCH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM JACK WINSTANLEY & GIDEON TAAFFE