The briefing for Thursday, February 26.

The FBI has terminated additional agents who participated in the investigation of President Trump's retention of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. At least 10 employees were fired as part of the ongoing personnel purge under FBI Director Kash Patel. These terminations follow earlier firings of agents involved in the separate investigation into Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

The firings are part of broader personnel changes under Patel, a Trump appointee who has pushed out dozens of employees perceived as not aligned with the administration's agenda. Both investigations led to criminal charges by special counsel Jack Smith but were abandoned after Trump won the 2024 election, based on longstanding Justice Department policy that sitting presidents cannot be indicted. The Mar-a-Lago case involved a high-profile FBI search of Trump's Florida resort and charges related to retaining top-secret records and obstructing government efforts to recover them.

The FBI Agents Association condemned the terminations as unlawful and a threat to national security, stating the actions 'weaken the Bureau by stripping away critical expertise and destabilizing the workforce.' The firings were revealed the same day Patel told Reuters that the FBI during the Biden administration had subpoenaed his phone records and those of current White House chief of staff Susie Wiles in 2022 and 2023, when they were private citizens.

US and Iranian officials met Thursday in Geneva for their third round of indirect nuclear negotiations, mediated by Oman, as President Trump deploys massive military forces to the Middle East and threatens strikes if no deal is reached. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US special envoy Steve Witkoff are attempting to broker an agreement, with Trump demanding Iran halt uranium enrichment entirely and address its ballistic missile program. Iran maintains talks must focus only on nuclear issues.

The talks come amid the largest US military buildup in the region since the 2003 Iraq invasion, with Trump deploying what he describes as an 'armada' including two aircraft carriers, warships, fighter jets, and thousands of troops. Iran has warned that all US military bases in the Middle East would be considered legitimate targets if attacked, and threatened retaliation against Israel, raising fears of a regional war. Trump struck three Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025, which he claimed 'obliterated' the facilities, though satellite imagery suggests Iran is attempting recovery efforts.

Before the talks, the Trump administration imposed new sanctions on 30 individuals, companies, and ships accused of enabling Iran's missile program, drone production, and illicit oil sales. In his State of the Union address Tuesday, Trump said he prefers diplomacy but 'will never allow the world's number one sponsor of terror to have a nuclear weapon.' Iranian officials have stated they will 'under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon,' though they reject halting uranium enrichment. US intelligence agencies assess Iran has not restarted a weapons program but has undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device if it chooses.

Ukrainian officials are meeting with Trump administration envoys in Geneva on Thursday to prepare for an upcoming round of trilateral negotiations with Russia, as Ukraine faces a massive overnight aerial assault. Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, is holding talks with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to discuss postwar recovery plans and potential prisoner exchanges. President Zelenskyy said he expects the next trilateral meeting with Russia to occur next week.

Russia launched a barrage of 420 drones and 39 missiles at Ukraine overnight, targeting critical infrastructure and residential areas across eight regions, according to Zelenskyy. The bombardment included 11 ballistic missiles and resulted in dozens of injuries, including children, though no confirmed total has been published. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted most missiles, with Western partners providing timely delivery of additional interceptors. Russia struck gas infrastructure in Poltava and electrical substations in Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

The US-brokered peace efforts have brought Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table in Abu Dhabi and Geneva this year, but talks remain deadlocked on key issues as Russia's invasion enters its fifth year. Witkoff said previous discussions have largely resolved security guarantee questions, with both sides engaging in almost daily conversations. Ukrainian forces have made recent gains along the 1,250-kilometer front line, the biggest since 2024 according to the Institute for the Study of War, though a troop shortage limits offensive potential. Washington insists it is not pressuring Ukraine to concede on any point.

Dr. Casey Means, Trump's nominee for surgeon general, faced sharp questioning during her Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday over her views on vaccines, birth control, and her qualifications for the position. The 38-year-old wellness influencer and entrepreneur emphasized addressing root causes of chronic disease rather than 'reactive sick care,' a message aligned with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 'Make America Healthy Again' movement. Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, the ranking member, expressed 'very serious questions' about Means' ability to serve as the nation's doctor.

Means declined to commit to advising Americans to vaccinate against flu and measles during outbreaks when pressed by Senate health committee chair Bill Cassidy. When asked if she believes vaccines contribute to autism—a claim Kennedy has embraced despite overwhelming contrary research—Means said she accepts the evidence showing no link but added 'science is never settled.' She expressed support for studying environmental contributors to autism. Means also addressed past comments about birth control pills being prescribed 'like candy,' and was questioned about her positions on the hepatitis B vaccine birth dose and use of psychedelics.

The Stanford-educated physician's medical license is not currently active, and she has no government experience. Critics have raised concerns about her promotion of various products without disclosing financial benefits. As surgeon general, Means would issue advisories on public health threats and promote Kennedy's agenda to remove food additives, address conflicts of interest, and encourage healthier eating. The committee will next consider whether to advance her nomination for a full Senate vote.

Vice President JD Vance announced Wednesday that the administration is temporarily halting $259.5 million in Medicaid funding to Minnesota due to fraud concerns, part of what he described as a national 'war on fraud.' Vance, appearing with Dr. Mehmet Oz who oversees the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the action ensures Minnesota 'takes its obligations seriously to be good stewards of the American people's tax money.' Oz characterized those committing fraud as 'self-serving scoundrels' and said the funding would only be released after the state proposes and implements a comprehensive corrective action plan.

The move follows allegations of fraud involving day care centers run by Somali residents in Minneapolis, which prompted a massive immigration crackdown in the city and widespread protests. President Trump announced during his State of the Union address Tuesday that Vance would lead the fraud crackdown effort. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Kamala Harris' 2024 running mate, rejected the fraud rationale and said the action 'has nothing to do with fraud' but represents 'a campaign of retribution' and weaponization of the federal government to punish blue states. Walz warned the cuts would be 'devastating for veterans, families with young kids, folks with disabilities, and working people.'

Oz gave Walz 60 days to respond and advised concerned health care providers and Medicaid beneficiaries to contact the governor's office. CMS also announced it would block new Medicare enrollments for six months for suppliers of durable medical equipment and other medical supplies, citing fraud concerns. The agency launched a crowdsourcing effort to solicit tips from Americans to 'crush fraud.' A 2025 Health and Human Services Inspector General report found Medicare improperly paid suppliers nearly $23 million for durable medical equipment from 2018-2024, though most occurred before January 2020 system changes.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared his intent to expand the country's nuclear arsenal and operational range while suggesting North Korea could 'get along' with the United States if Washington accepts Pyongyang's nuclear status. Speaking at the five-yearly Workers' Party Congress in Pyongyang, Kim said there is 'no reason why we cannot get along well with the United States' if America 'respects our present position as stipulated in the Constitution and withdraws its hostile policy.' He emphasized the choice between peaceful coexistence or permanent confrontation 'depends entirely on the US attitude.'

Kim took a harder line toward South Korea, saying Pyongyang would 'permanently exclude Seoul from the category of compatriots' and warning that North Korea could 'completely destroy' the South if threatened. He stated Seoul's only path to safety is to 'give up everything related to us and leave us alone.' Analysts interpreted the remarks as signaling an intention to pursue US relations independently without going through South Korea. The comments come as speculation grows about potential renewed talks between Trump and Kim, last held in 2019, after Trump's recent national security strategy conspicuously omitted North Korean denuclearization as a goal.

Kim called for focusing on projects to 'increase the number of nuclear weapons and expand nuclear operational means,' including developing underwater-launched ICBMs and expanded tactical nuclear weapons targeting South Korea. State media said North Korea 'radically improved' its war deterrence under Kim's leadership. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimated last year that North Korea has around 50 assembled nuclear warheads with enough material for up to 40 more. Kim has consistently rejected denuclearization, telling parliament in September that 'the concept of denuclearisation has already lost its meaning' and is 'the last, last thing to expect from us.'