The briefing for Wednesday, February 25.

The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 Tuesday that Americans cannot sue the U.S. Postal Service even when employees deliberately refuse to deliver mail. The decision came in a case brought by Lebene Konan, a Black Texas landlord who alleges postal employees intentionally withheld her mail for two years, possibly due to racial discrimination.

Justice Clarence Thomas, writing for the conservative majority, said federal law's protection for the Postal Service extends to 'the intentional nondelivery of mail.' Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented, arguing the protection shouldn't cover situations where non-delivery 'was driven by malicious reasons.' Justice Neil Gorsuch joined the three liberal justices in dissent.

The Trump administration had warned that ruling for Konan would trigger a flood of lawsuits against the cash-strapped Postal Service. Konan claims two employees at a Euless, Texas post office deliberately didn't deliver mail to her and her tenants despite proving property ownership and complaints to the USPS inspector general. She and her tenants failed to receive bills, medications, and car titles, and she lost rental income when tenants moved out due to the mail problems.

A federal appeals court rejected Tuesday a request to block the IRS from sharing taxpayer data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement under an agreement signed last April by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The three-judge panel for the D.C. Circuit declined a preliminary injunction from immigrant rights group Centro de Trabajadores Unidos and other nonprofits challenging the data-sharing arrangement.

Judge Harry T. Edwards wrote that the groups 'are unlikely to succeed on the merits of their claim' since the shared information isn't covered by IRS privacy statutes. The agreement allows ICE to submit names and addresses of immigrants in the U.S. illegally to the IRS for cross-verification against tax records. Attorney General Pam Bondi called the decision a 'crucial victory' for the administration's immigration enforcement efforts.

The data-sharing deal sparked controversy so intense that the acting IRS commissioner resigned last year over it. Court filings earlier this month revealed the IRS erroneously shared taxpayer information of thousands of people with DHS. Of 1.28 million names ICE requested, the IRS verified roughly 47,000, and for less than 5% of those individuals provided additional address information, potentially violating privacy rules protecting taxpayer data.

Iran rejected U.S. pressure tactics Wednesday ahead of critical nuclear talks scheduled for Thursday in Geneva, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei calling President Trump's remarks 'big lies' while parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Iran is open to 'honorable diplomacy.' The conflicting messages come as America has assembled its biggest deployment of aircraft and warships in the Middle East in decades.

The U.S. military buildup includes the aircraft carriers USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford, with at least 16 Navy ships total and hundreds of fighter jets in the region. The Pentagon moved 12 F-22 stealth fighters to Israel on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the CIA published instructions in Farsi on how Iranians can securely contact the agency, and U.S. warships typically docked in Bahrain appear to have been sent to sea, according to satellite photos.

Trump warned in his State of the Union address Tuesday that Iran is rebuilding its weapons program and developing missiles that could reach the United States. Satellite photos show Iran beginning to rebuild missile production sites and conducting work at three nuclear sites attacked by the U.S. in June. Iran had been enriching uranium to 60% purity before the attack—a short technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%. The talks mark the third round of negotiations under Oman's mediation, with Trump repeatedly threatening military action if diplomacy fails.

Japan will deploy surface-to-air missiles to Yonaguni island by March 2031, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced Tuesday, marking the first specified timeline since the deployment was announced in 2022. The island sits just 110 kilometers from Taiwan and is visible from its shores on a clear day.

Koizumi said the Yonaguni unit will be equipped with medium-range surface-to-air missiles capable of intercepting incoming aircraft and missiles. An electronic warfare unit capable of disrupting enemy communications and radar will be established in fiscal year 2026. The island currently handles coastal surveillance with about 160 self-defense force members.

The announcement came one day after China imposed export curbs on 20 Japanese companies and entities, citing national security concerns. Regional tensions have escalated since November when Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested Japan would activate its self-defense force if Taiwan were attacked. China claims Taiwan as its own and has not ruled out using force to 'reunify' with it. Beijing responded to Koizumi's November visit to Yonaguni by flying drones near the island, prompting Japan to scramble fighter jets.

Paramount increased its hostile takeover offer for Warner Bros. Discovery to $31 per share, potentially triggering a fresh bidding war with Netflix over the Hollywood giant. The new bid raises Paramount's regulatory termination fee to $7 billion and accelerates a 'ticking fee' payment to the end of September instead of year-end.

Warner Bros. disclosed Tuesday that Paramount's revised offer 'could reasonably be expected to lead to' a superior proposal, though the board has not yet determined if it beats Netflix's current deal. Netflix's agreement to buy Warner's studio and streaming business values the company at $27.75 per share, while Paramount wants to acquire Warner in its entirety, including CNN and Discovery networks.

A Warner buyout would reshape the media landscape by bringing HBO Max, Harry Potter titles, and potentially CNN under one roof. If Warner's board deems Paramount's offer superior, Netflix would have four days to match or revise its proposal. Both deals face significant antitrust scrutiny, with the Justice Department already reviewing both proposals. Critics warn consolidation could lead to job losses, reduced filmmaking diversity, and higher streaming costs for consumers.

More than a dozen states filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Trump administration over CDC changes that rolled back vaccine recommendations for children. The states, including Arizona and California, argue the move illegally threatens public health and will force states to spend more combating outbreaks.

The CDC announced last month it would stop recommending all children receive immunizations against flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, some forms of meningitis, and RSV. Under new guidance criticized by medical experts, protections against those diseases are now recommended only for high-risk groups or through 'shared decision-making' with doctors.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said at a news conference that 'the health and safety of children across the country is not a political issue.' The lawsuit alleges Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unlawfully ousted every member of a vaccine advisory committee last year and replaced them with his own picks. The CDC and Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to requests for comment.