Trump said on the eve of the hastily arranged White House meeting \u2013 set to begin at 11am \u2013 that he was weighing sending a second US \u201carmada\u201d to the Middle East to pressure Tehran to reach a nuclear deal.<\/p>\n
But Netanyahu, making his sixth visit to the United States since Trump took office, will also be urging the US leader to take a harder line on Iran\u2019s ballistic missile program.<\/p>\n
Tehran, which resumed talks with Washington last week in Oman, warned on Monday of \u201cdestructive influences\u201d on diplomacy ahead of the Israeli premier\u2019s visit.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, the Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said his country would \u201cnot yield to excessive demands\u201d on its nuclear program, though he said the country is not seeking an atomic weapon.<\/p>\n
Netanyahu had been expected to come to Washington for a 19 February meeting of Trump\u2019s \u201cBoard of Peace\u201d for Gaza<\/a>, but reportedly brought forward his visit as the US-Iran talks proceeded.<\/p>\n Trump is also due to meet with special envoy to the UK Mark Burnett later today, while the US attorney general, Pam Bondi, is set to face questions from lawmakers over the justice department\u2019s handling of files related to Jeffrey Epstein<\/a>.<\/p>\n In other developments:<\/p>\n Federal prosecutors reportedly tried, and failed, to convince a grand jury to indict six Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday over a social media video<\/a> they recorded to remind service members in the military and intelligence community that they are not required to follow illegal orders.<\/p>\n Donald Trump\u2019s sudden turn against a new, publicly owned bridge being constructed to connect Detroit, Michigan, to Windsor, Ontario, came right after a Republican donor who owns a private, rival bridge met with Trump\u2019s commerce secretary, the New York Times reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n Canada\u2019s prime minister, Mark Carney, and the premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, have taken on the daunting task of trying to explain to Trump that the reasons he cited for threatening to block the opening of the new bridge are entirely untrue. Carney told Trump that Canada paid for the bridge and the US shares ownership<\/a>.<\/p>\n In an appearance<\/a> on the rightwing channel Real America\u2019s Voice, a Republican congressman from Missouri, Mark Alford, said \u201cwe are still investigating\u201d the lyrics of a song performed in Spanish by the Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny during his Super Bowl half-time show<\/a> on Sunday.<\/p>\n As the US supreme court prepares to rule on whether Trump does have the power to impose tariffs on foreign imports to address a self-declared economic emergency, the president confirmed in an interview that he sets tariff rates based, in part, on his own feelings about the leaders of other nations.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.06 EST<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n President Donald Trump and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a> are meeting at the White House on Wednesday, with Iran and Gaza on the agenda. Netanyahu is expected to press Trump for limits on Tehran\u2019s missile arsenal and other security threats, while Trump looking to push the ceasefire agreement he brokered last year.<\/p>\n This is the seventh meeting between the two since Trump\u2019s re-election, according to Reuters.<\/p>\n The meeting is an opportunity for Netanyahu to influence the next round of U.S. discussions with Iran<\/a> following nuclear negotiations held in Oman last Friday. Trump has threatened strikes on Iran if no agreement is reached, while Tehran has vowed to retaliate, stoking fears of a wider war. Trump told Fox Business on Tuesday that a good deal with Iran would mean \u201cno nuclear weapons, no missiles,\u201d without elaborating. He also told Axios he was considering sending a second aircraft carrier strike group as part of a major U.S. buildup near Iran.<\/p>\n \u201cI will present to the president our perceptions of the principles in the negotiations,\u201d Netanyahu told reporters before departing for the U.S. The two leaders could also discuss potential military action if diplomacy with Iran fails, one source said.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>House hearing on veterans affairs turns tense amid questions over VA nurse Alex Pretti’s killing<\/p>\n Jos\u00e9 Olivares<\/p>\n The secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), Doug Collins, and Representative Mark Takano of California engaged in a heated exchange during a House oversight hearing.<\/p>\n Takano grilled the secretary on his attempts to restructure the VA. Takano said there is a lack of transparency about the details of Collins\u2019 goals. At one point, Takano asked Collins whether he is offering signing bonuses to new nurses and doctors, as the VA continues to struggle with staffing nationwide. \u201cQuit yelling at me!\u201d Collins said, as Takano grilled him on the question of staffing.<\/p>\n Takano then lambasted Collins for his public response to Alex Pretti\u2019s shooting. Pretti was a VA nurse, who was killed by immigration enforcement officials in Minneapolis.<\/p>\n \u201cAlex Pretti worked for you \u2013 can you just tell me, was he a good employee?\u201d Takano asked.<\/p>\n \u201cAs far as I know, everything about it \u2013 I\u2019ve already said what I\u2019m gonna say about Alex Pretti and I\u2019m not gonna be brought into anything else about it,\u201d Collins said.<\/p>\n In response, Takano criticized Collins for not speaking out about his employee who was killed. Other Trump administration<\/a> officials, after the shooting, called Pretti a \u201cterrorist\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen your employee was attacked publicly and falsely, by your own colleagues, you had a choice to defend him or stay silent,\u201d Takano said. \u201cAnd you chose silence. And that silence is deafening.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.42 EST<\/p>\n The US attorney general, Pam Bondi, just began screaming at committee members after trying to avoid a question from Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m gonna answer the question,\u201d Bondi screamed.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, answer my question,\u201d Nadler said back.<\/p>\n \u201cYour theatrics are ridiculous,\u201d Bondi said. \u201cChairman Jordan, I\u2019m not gonna get in the gutter with these people. But I\u2019m gonna answer the question.\u201d<\/p>\n Then Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the panel, interrupted to ask Nadler get more time to ask a question. \u201cYou can let her filibuster all day long, not on our watch, not on our time. No way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n When Raskin said he told Bondi she wouldn\u2019t be allowed to take up time, Bondi screamed, \u201cYou don\u2019t tell me anything,\u201d and then proceeded to call Raskin \u201cwashed up\u201d and \u201cnot even a lawyer\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.18 EST<\/p>\n Bondi clashes with Democrat Jamie Raskin, calling him a ‘washed-up lawyer’<\/p>\n Democrats on the House judiciary committee are pointedly questioning the US attorney general, Pam Bondi, and shutting down her answers to questions if she doesn\u2019t respond to the question asked.<\/p>\n After questions from Jerry Nadler, a Democratic representative, Bondi snapped back, and Nadler cut her off and attempted to reclaim his time to continue asking questions and commenting.<\/p>\n Ranking member Jamie Raskin jumped in: \u201cYou can let her filibuster all day long, but not on our watch, not on our time. I told you about that, attorney general, before you started.\u201d<\/p>\n Bondi hit back: \u201cYou don\u2019t tell me anything, you washed-up lawyer. You\u2019re not even a lawyer.\u201d<\/p>\n After Nadler\u2019s time ended, Bondi went on an extended commentary about how successful president Donald Trump<\/a> is, calling him the \u201cmost transparent\u201d president in history and praising the stock market.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.41 EST<\/p>\n Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington, is tussling with attorney general Pam Bondi early on in the hearing.<\/p>\n Last year, when Bondi testified before the senate judiciary committee, she aggressively brushed off questions from Democrats – a performance that delighted Trump allies. Democrats have clearly learned from that hearing and are being more aggressive today.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.17 EST<\/p>\n Jos\u00e9 Olivares<\/p>\n The secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), Doug Collins, is not interested in discussing Alex Pretti\u2019s killing during an ongoing Congressional hearing. Pretti, a VA nurse, was shot and killed in Minneapolis by immigration enforcement officials in late January.<\/p>\n Collins expressed his \u201cdeepest sympathies\u201d to Pretti\u2019s family, but said he was not interested in discussing it during the hearing, saying he wants to focus instead on the VA\u2019s restructuring.<\/p>\n \u201cAs you know, his death is currently being investigated,\u201d Collins said. \u201cVA is not involved in that investigation. And neither I nor my fellow panelists are able to provide any additional details at this time.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.17 EST<\/p>\n Bondi declines to apologize again to Epstein survivors<\/p>\n Representative Pramila Jayapal asked the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein\u2019s abuse who are in the hearing room to raise their hands if they had not been able to meet with the department of justice. All of them raised their hands.<\/p>\n Attorney general Pam Bondi said in her opening statement that she apologized to the survivors. Jayapal recalled the apology and said, \u201cWill you turn to them now and apologize for what your Department of Justice has put them through with the absolutely unacceptable release of the Epstein files and their information?\u201d<\/p>\n Bondi tried to answer by placing blame on the prior attorney general under Biden and called Jayapal\u2019s question \u201ctheatrics\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.40 EST<\/p>\n Representative Takano grills Department of Veterans’ Affairs secretary for attempting to restructure the VA<\/p>\n Jos\u00e9 Olivares<\/p>\n Rep. Takano grilled the Department of Veterans\u2019 Affairs (VA) secretary Doug Collins and the Trump administration<\/a>, for attempting to restructure the VA.<\/p>\n Takano said Collins\u2019 attempts to reorganize the VA are the \u201cthird attempt to shrink\u201d the agency. The first involved cuts by DOGE, leading to 2,000 employees being fired. And the second was a failed attempt by Collins to lay off 83,000 VA employees.<\/p>\n This is all happening as the department struggles with staffing and retention.<\/p>\n Takano says the actions were \u201cperformative.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey provided absolutely no benefit to veterans,\u201d Takano said.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.17 EST<\/p>\n Bondi attacks judges in opening statement Attorney general Pam Bondi<\/a> attacks judges in her opening statement to the House judiciary committee.<\/p>\n \u201cAmerica has never seen this level of coordinated judicial opposition towards a presidential administration,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.08 EST<\/p>\n Jos\u00e9 Olivares<\/p>\n The House Committee of Veterans\u2019 Affairs began what is expected to be a tense hearing, with the Secretary of the VA on Wednesday morning. To begin, ranking committee member Rep. Mark Takano from California began by having a moment of silence for Alex Pretti, the VA nurse who was shot and killed in Minneapolis by immigration enforcement officials.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was clear that Alex was exactly the type of employee that VA needs and exemplified the values of a true public servant,\u201d Rep. Takano said. \u201cI am outraged that Alex was taken from us by the hands of the lawless Trump regime.\u201d<\/p>\n Other members of congress are expected to grill the VA Secretary, Doug Collins, on Pretti\u2019s killing, the restructuring of the VA, and more. In recent months, the Guardian has been reporting on efforts by VA leadership to build a massive report of the agency\u2019s non-citizen workforce that would then be shared with immigration authorities.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Pam Bondi testifies to House judiciary committee<\/p>\n Attorney general Pam Bondi<\/a> is appearing before the House judiciary committee this morning for an oversight hearing.<\/p>\n During introductory remarks, Republican representative Jim Jordan, who chairs the committee, commended Bondi for righting the ship at the department, claiming she had worked to depoliticize the department after excesses during the Biden administration.<\/p>\n Jordan\u2019s remarks were immediately negated by Democratic ranking member Jamie Raskin, who listed a litany of department of justice problems – the Epstein files, investigations into the killings of two US citizens by immigration agents, hiring of political allies over experienced career officials.<\/p>\n Bondi\u2019s testimony is expected to include pointed questioning from Democrats on the committee.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.07 EST<\/p>\n ‘As far as I am aware, there was nothing different or extraordinary about a drone from Mexico last night,’ says Veronica Escobar<\/p>\n Veronica Escobar said the explanation from the federal government about a cartel drone incursion didn\u2019t line up with what explanations she and other members of Congress have been given for the abrupt closure of the El Paso airport.<\/p>\n \u201cThe information coming from the administration does not add up, and it\u2019s not the information that I was able to gather overnight and this morning,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n She said she\u2019s communicated with the ranking member on the House armed services committee, and her understanding is that a potential drone incursion would not have caused the closure.<\/p>\n \u201cAs far as I am aware, and the committees in DC are aware, there was nothing different or extraordinary about a drone from Mexico last night,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n![\"Sam](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Sam_Levine_Next_Gen.png\")
Sam Levine<\/p>\nSam Levine<\/p>\n