The U.S. State Department issued an urgent warning on Feb. 28, 2026, telling U.S. citizens to depart immediately by commercial means amid serious, escalating safety risks across the Middle East. (travel.state.gov) Americans in Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan and Kuwait were urged to leave or shelter in place as conditions changed, with embassy posts reporting airspace closures, missile and drone strikes and travel disruptions. (yahoo.com) The Department authorized departure of non‑emergency U.S. personnel from Mission Israel. (travel.state.gov) The U.S. Embassy in Manama warned hotels may be targeted after the Crowne Plaza was struck. (newsweek.com) Enroll in STEP and follow TravelGov updates.
Hillary Clinton testified behind closed doors this week before the House Oversight Committee in its Jeffrey Epstein inquiry. (theguardian.com) A photo of her at the deposition was leaked—reported to have been taken by Rep. Lauren Boebert and posted by influencer Benny Johnson—prompting a brief pause in proceedings. (tmz.com) Clinton later said she “answered every one” of the committee’s questions, denied knowing Epstein and described Ghislaine Maxwell as a casual acquaintance, while her request for a public hearing was denied. (theguardian.com) Viral posts claiming she screamed, stormed out, or declared “I am done” have not been substantiated by major outlets and are thus misleading. (apnews.com)
Police are investigating the apparent abduction of Nancy Guthrie, 84, reported missing after family discovered her home disturbed when she missed church on February 1, 2026. (foxnews.com) Pima County Sheriff’s deputies have treated the property as a crime scene and deployed drones and K9 teams during searches. (yahoo.com) Investigators reported dried droplets of blood leading from the front entry out to the driveway and noted a missing doorbell camera. (independent.co.uk) Police say Nancy’s phone, car, purse and medications were left behind, and her pacemaker last synced with her Apple device around 2 a.m., suggesting she was taken that night. (parade.com) No suspects identified yet. (foxnews.com)
FBI Director Kash Patel is preparing to travel to Tucson as President Trump mobilizes federal law‑enforcement resources to assist the search for Nancy Guthrie, the 84‑year‑old mother of NBC “Today” co‑host Savannah Guthrie. Nancy was reported missing after failing to appear at church; investigators are treating her disappearance as a possible abduction from her Catalina Foothills home, citing signs of forced entry, blood at the scene and a missing Ring camera. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department, aided by the FBI, has not identified suspects; Savannah Guthrie has paused work and asked for public prayers as authorities pursue leads. Authorities remain hopeful. (axios.com)
Federal officials say more than 4,000 undocumented immigrants have been arrested in Minnesota since Operation Metro Surge began in December 2025, part of a large DHS deployment to target alleged welfare‑fraud suspects and criminal noncitizens. The operation prompted protests, lawsuits from Minnesota officials alleging illegal searches and racial profiling, and investigations after two people were shot by federal agents. Border czar Tom Homan announced a partial drawdown of 700 personnel while saying arrests would continue. Supporters hail the arrests as public‑safety wins; critics, local leaders and civil‑rights groups condemn the tactics and question the arrest totals and call for accountability. (whitehouse.gov)
Vice President J.D. Vance boarded Air Force Two bound for Milan, Italy, leading the U.S. presidential delegation to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. He is accompanied by Second Lady Usha Vance and officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ambassador Tilman Fertitta, plus several former Olympic champions. The group will attend the February 6 opening ceremony, which will feature a first‑of‑its‑kind Parade of Nations staged across Milan and mountain venues. President Donald Trump is not part of the delegation. The Vances are representing the United States on the international stage as Americans gear up to watch the Games.
Sources: (reutersconnect.com)
On January 28, 2026, Nicki Minaj posted a viral video with former president Donald Trump and shared a photo of a so‑called “Trump Gold Card.” (people.com) She praised Trump, called herself his “No. 1 fan,” and said she was “finalizing” U.S. citizenship paperwork after attending a Trump Accounts summit where she pledged hundreds of thousands toward the program. (yahoo.com) The posts — and the gold‑card photo — exploded online, prompting swift backlash from critics and many former fans who called the move a dramatic political pivot. (forbes.com) The White House amplified the posts, and commentators debated whether the stunt was genuine or promotional. (yahoo.com)
At a February 4, 2026 House Financial Services Committee hearing on the Financial Stability Oversight Council report, Rep. Joyce Beatty pressed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for direct answers about the CDFI Fund and related matters. (finance.yahoo.com) She demanded, “You will say ‘yes,’ ‘no,’ or ‘I’m not answering, move on,’” and pushed back when Bessent offered to have staff follow up. (ar15.com) Bessent often declined to answer immediately and gave terse replies, prompting the chair to try to cut Beatty’s time. (beatty.house.gov) Video of the tense exchange went viral on social media as reporters also highlighted Bessent’s testimony on tariffs, stablecoins and financial stability. (finance.yahoo.com)
Federal agency the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced it filed a subpoena enforcement action against Nike in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, opening an investigation into allegations that Nike engaged in a pattern or practice of race discrimination against White employees tied to its 2025 DEI targets. The EEOC seeks records dating to 2018, including criteria used for layoffs, how race and ethnicity data were tracked or used (including executive compensation), and details on 16 programs alleged to offer race‑restricted mentoring or development. Nike says it has cooperated and provided materials while disputing wrongdoing publicly. (eeoc.gov)
The U.S. State Department issued an urgent warning on Feb. 28, 2026, telling U.S. citizens to depart immediately by commercial means amid serious, escalating safety risks across the Middle East. (travel.state.gov) Americans in Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan and Kuwait were urged to leave or shelter in place as conditions changed, with embassy posts reporting airspace closures, missile and drone strikes and travel disruptions. (yahoo.com) The Department authorized departure of non‑emergency U.S. personnel from Mission Israel. (travel.state.gov) The U.S. Embassy in Manama warned hotels may be targeted after the Crowne Plaza was struck. (newsweek.com) Enroll in STEP and follow TravelGov updates.
Hillary Clinton testified behind closed doors this week before the House Oversight Committee in its Jeffrey Epstein inquiry. (theguardian.com) A photo of her at the deposition was leaked—reported to have been taken by Rep. Lauren Boebert and posted by influencer Benny Johnson—prompting a brief pause in proceedings. (tmz.com) Clinton later said she “answered every one” of the committee’s questions, denied knowing Epstein and described Ghislaine Maxwell as a casual acquaintance, while her request for a public hearing was denied. (theguardian.com) Viral posts claiming she screamed, stormed out, or declared “I am done” have not been substantiated by major outlets and are thus misleading. (apnews.com)
Newly released satellite images from Vantor, Planet Labs and Airbus show damage to Iranian naval facilities at Konarak and at least one frigate burning pierside after U.S. and Israeli strikes, with analysts identifying multiple damaged or sunk vessels. President Trump said the U.S. destroyed nine Iranian warships and vowed to “annihilate” Iran’s navy, and U.S. officials reported strikes on naval headquarters as part of Operation Epic Fury. Imagery and open-source analysts corroborate localized damage but assessments of total losses remain preliminary amid ongoing strikes and limited independent verification; civilians and regional capitals report disruptive fires and rising geopolitical tensions nationwide. (wired.com)
