The briefing for Friday, February 20.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development proposed a rule Thursday requiring citizenship proof for all residents in public housing, effectively barring mixed-status families from assistance. The measure would force households to choose between losing rental help or separating their families, potentially affecting up to 80,000 people according to housing advocates. HUD Secretary Scott Turner said the rule aims to eliminate 'loopholes' exploited by ineligible residents, though the proposal overturns decades of policy allowing mixed-status households where at least one member qualifies.

Separately, the Department of Homeland Security issued a sweeping order enabling the detention of refugees admitted under the Biden administration. According to a memo filed in federal court, refugees applying for green cards must return to federal custody one year after admission for review, with DHS maintaining custody throughout the process. The policy could impact nearly 200,000 refugees who arrived during Biden's presidency, many already lawfully residing in communities across the country.

The moves sparked immediate legal challenges and advocacy group condemnation. HIAS called the refugee detention order 'a transparent effort to detain and potentially deport thousands of people who are legally present.' A federal judge in Minnesota had previously blocked similar detention policies in that state, ruling them unlawful. Immigration experts note that refugees already undergo extensive vetting before admission, questioning the national security rationale cited by the administration.

Congressional documents reveal that a proposed nuclear cooperation agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia could permit uranium enrichment within the kingdom, according to materials reviewed by the Associated Press and the Arms Control Association. The deal, part of a broader push by the Trump administration to reach 20 nuclear business agreements globally, would include International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards covering 'the most proliferation-sensitive areas' including enrichment, fuel fabrication, and reprocessing.

Arms control experts warn that any enrichment capability in Saudi Arabia opens pathways to potential weaponization, particularly given Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's past statements about pursuing nuclear weapons if Iran obtains one. Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan signed a mutual defense pact last year, with Pakistan's defense minister saying the country's nuclear program 'will be made available' to Saudi Arabia if needed. The arrangement stands in contrast to the UAE's 'gold standard' agreement with the U.S., which explicitly forbade enrichment.

While enrichment alone doesn't constitute a weapons program, nonproliferation experts note it provides threshold capability that would require only a political decision to move toward military use. Kelsey Davenport of the Arms Control Association said the documents raise 'concerns that the Trump administration has not carefully considered the proliferation risks' or the precedent the agreement could set. Saudi Arabia has not commented on the proposed terms.

President Trump said Thursday the world would know 'over the next, probably, ten days' whether negotiations with Iran succeed or military action follows, speaking at the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace. The statement came as the USS Gerald R Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, heads toward the Middle East to join the USS Abraham Lincoln near Iranian waters, with full military assets expected in place by mid-March according to U.S. officials.

Indirect talks in Geneva this week showed limited progress, with both sides offering muted optimism while remaining far apart on key issues. Iran agreed to prepare a written proposal addressing U.S. concerns, though Iranian officials have characterized American demands as capitulation rather than negotiation. The U.S. seeks an end to uranium enrichment, ballistic missile range reductions, cessation of support for regional proxy groups, and changes to Iran's treatment of citizens. Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to brief Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on the talks during a Feb. 28 trip to Israel.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei posted images threatening U.S. warships, while Iran conducted naval drills with Russia in the Gulf of Oman. Congressional Democrats and some Republicans have voiced opposition to military action without congressional approval, with Representatives Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie planning to force a vote under the War Powers Act. The standoff occurs as Iran faces domestic unrest following its crackdown on protesters, with mourning ceremonies for victims held 40 days after their deaths sparking new anti-government demonstrations.

The Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday it will no longer require two rigorous studies for new drug approvals, making a single trial the 'default position' going forward. FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary and deputy Dr. Vinay Prasad wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine that modern scientific advances have made 'overreliance on two trials' unnecessary, predicting the change would lead to 'a surge in drug development.'

The two-study standard dates to the 1960s when Congress required 'adequate and well-controlled investigations' before clearing new medications. Over the past five years, roughly 60 percent of first-of-a-kind drugs were already approved based on single studies, primarily for rare or fatal diseases. The new policy extends this flexibility to common diseases that previously required more extensive testing. Former FDA drug director Dr. Janet Woodcock, who led the agency's drug center for about 20 years, said the change 'makes sense' given greater understanding of biology and disease.

The announcement continues a pattern of regulatory changes by Makary since his appointment, including mandates to use artificial intelligence in reviews and one-month assessments for drugs serving 'national interests.' The approach contrasts with the agency's recent tightening of vaccine approval standards. Critics have not yet emerged publicly, though the shift raises questions about whether reduced testing requirements could compromise safety standards in the Trump administration's broader deregulatory push.

A Seoul court sentenced ousted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to life in prison Thursday for orchestrating a rebellion through his short-lived martial law declaration in December 2024. Judge Ji Gwi-yeon ruled that Yoon attempted to subvert the constitution by deploying military troops to seal off the National Assembly and ordering the arrest of politicians, fundamentally damaging South Korea's democracy. Former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun received a 30-year sentence, while former prime minister Han Duck-soo was handed 23 years.

Yoon showed no emotion as the verdict was read, with his lawyers alleging the decision followed a 'pre-written script' unsupported by evidence. In a statement released Friday, Yoon maintained his martial law order was done 'solely for the sake of the nation' and dismissed the Seoul court as biased. He expressed 'deep skepticism' about continuing legal battles through appeal, though his attorneys clarified he was merely expressing frustration rather than waiving his right to appeal within the seven-day window.

Yoon's December 3, 2024 declaration lasted only six hours before lawmakers broke through a military blockade to vote it down. The conservative former president claimed the measure was necessary to counter opposition parties he portrayed as 'anti-state forces,' though it became clear he was driven by domestic troubles including a lame duck presidency and corruption allegations against his wife. South Korea has not executed anyone since 1997, meaning even a death sentence would effectively be life imprisonment. Several former presidents have been convicted and jailed but later pardoned after serving brief terms.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman issued a scathing rebuke Thursday of both Boeing and NASA management over the Starliner spacecraft's troubled mission that left astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams stranded at the International Space Station for more than nine months. Isaacman upgraded the incident classification to a serious 'Type A mishap' that could endanger crews, similar to designations for the Challenger and Columbia disasters, which also involved cultural and leadership failures.

Isaacman said it was a 'mistake' that Starliner wasn't designated a serious mishap from the start, citing internal pressure to keep Boeing in the program and maintain flight schedules. NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya acknowledged 'we almost did have a really terrible day,' referring to potential loss of life from thruster failures that nearly prevented the spacecraft from reaching the station after its 2024 liftoff. 'We have to own our part of this,' Kshatriya said, adding that NASA 'failed' the two test pilots.

The 312-page report comes as Boeing faces mounting scrutiny over Starliner's persistent problems, including a 2019 test flight that reached the wrong orbit and required a costly repeat mission. There is no timeline for when Boeing can attempt another flight, leaving SpaceX as the only U.S. option for ferrying astronauts. Boeing said it has made 'substantial progress on corrective actions' and driven 'significant cultural changes,' though the company continues analyses of the thruster failures that plagued the mission.