Axios

President Trump announced that the U.S. military had destroyed nine Iranian warships and intended to eliminate the rest of Iran's navy. These strikes are aimed at disabling Iran's capacity to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime choke point for global oil transport.

Following U.S. President Donald Trump's unauthorized military strikes on Iran, Democratic lawmakers are demanding an immediate congressional vote on a War Powers Resolution to restrict further military action without congressional approval.

Iran's retaliation to the joint U.S.-Israel military operation included launching ballistic missiles and drones at U.S. bases and Israel, with significant spillover effects felt in several Arab nations, including the UAE and Qatar.

OpenAI has reached an agreement with the Pentagon to deploy its AI models under strict safety conditions, aligning with the Defense Department's key safety 'red lines' that Anthropic refused to accept.

President Trump has ordered the Pentagon to blacklist Anthropic, an AI company that had been operating within classified U.S. defense systems, due to it being labeled a 'supply chain risk' to national security.

The U.S. and Israel launch coordinated military strikes on Iran, targeting military infrastructure and leadership, with President Trump accusing Iran of decades of 'mass terror' and seeking regime change.

U.S. and Israeli officials announced that Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has been killed in an Israeli airstrike, part of a large-scale joint military operation between the two nations. President Trump stated that Khamenei, along with most of Iran's senior leadership, had been eliminated, describing the strike as a significant blow to the Iranian regime. Khamenei's death has triggered a succession crisis in Iran, with uncertainty about the country's future leadership.

More than 200 employees from Google and OpenAI have signed an open letter in support of Anthropic's stance against using advanced AI for domestic surveillance or fully autonomous warfare. This move urges Google and OpenAI to adopt similar ethical limits on how their technologies can be used by governments, including the U.S.

The Pentagon will now move to sever its contract with Anthropic — valued at up to $200 million — and require companies it works with to certify they don't use Claude in those workflows.

A former Trump administration AI official has sharply criticized the Pentagon's recent blacklisting of Anthropic, characterizing it as 'attempted corporate murder' and raising concerns about the politicization of national security decisions.

Anthropic has announced plans to take legal action against the Trump administration's Pentagon over its decision to blacklist the AI company, citing concerns over mass surveillance and autonomous weapons.

The recent Hollywood mega-merger saga has concluded with Warner Bros. Discovery emerging as the definitive winner, as Paramount Skydance's bid is now deemed superior to Netflix's.

Netflix announced it will not increase its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery's (WBD) streaming and studio assets, effectively allowing Paramount Skydance to become the leading contender.

Hillary Clinton testified before the House Oversight Committee, stating under oath that she never met Jeffrey Epstein and has no new information about his criminal activities, accusing Republican committee members of turning the deposition into a 'clown show' and a photo opportunity rather than a sincere investigation.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has affirmed that OpenAI shares key ethical boundaries with rival AI company Anthropic in their dealings with the Pentagon, particularly opposing the use of AI for mass surveillance and autonomous lethal weapons. This stance mirrors red lines that Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei also set, which have fueled tensions with the Department of Defense. While Altman emphasized that these red lines should serve as a broader industry standard, he also expressed interest in working with the Pentagon on sensitive military applications, such as expanding ChatGPT’s use to classified environments.

Anthropic has firmly rejected what the Pentagon described as its 'final offer' regarding the use of the AI model Claude, citing unacceptable terms on critical safeguards. CEO Dario Amodei emphasized that there has been 'virtually no progress' in the negotiations, particularly in ensuring that Claude is not used for mass surveillance of Americans or in fully autonomous weapons. The standoff comes ahead of a tight deadline—Friday at 5:01 PM—after which Anthropic could face serious consequences if it does not allow defense officials broader use of the AI.

Block announced a 40% reduction in its workforce, cutting 4,000 employees, as part of a strategic shift toward AI expansion. This move aligns with a broader trend of tech companies initiating mass layoffs amid a challenging job market.

On February 26, 2026, a deposition involving former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton before the House Oversight Committee was briefly halted after Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) took and shared an unauthorized photo with conservative commentator Benny Johnson. The photo's dissemination on social media violated official House rules, prompting an interruption in proceedings. Clinton's spokesperson, Nick Merrill, confirmed that the session was paused to investigate the photo's origin and address potential rule breaches by congressional members. This event is notable not only for the disruption but also because it marks the first instance that a former first couple, Bill and Hillary Clinton, appeared under subpoena before a congressional panel.

During her testimony, Hillary Clinton denied ever meeting Epstein and only had limited interactions with Ghislaine Maxwell, criticizing the Republican-led House Oversight Committee's investigation as a partisan move.

In a private meeting, White House envoy Steve Witkoff stated that the Trump administration is insisting any future nuclear agreement with Iran must be permanent, eliminating the 'sunset provisions' found in the 2015 deal. These provisions allowed various limits on Iran's nuclear activities to phase out over 8 to 25 years. Witkoff emphasized that under the new stance, Iran must commit to non-nuclear behavior indefinitely. This position is a core sticking point in current negotiations, with Iran seeking to retain its right to enrich uranium domestically.