Here are the AP's top stories and promotable content. All times U.S. Eastern. For up-to-the minute information on AP's coverage, visit AP Newsroom’s Coverage Plan.
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Here are the AP's top stories and promotable content. All times U.S. Eastern. For up-to-the minute information on AP's coverage, visit AP Newsroom’s Coverage Plan.
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NATIONAL
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The Trump administration is detaining and questioning refugees already admitted to the US
SUMMARY: In a break from tradition, refugees admitted to the United States after extensive interviews and vetting are being detained and questioned again. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in November that the Biden administration's evaluation of roughly 200,000 refugees was inadequate. DHS says it is reviewing cases, starting with about 5,600 refugees who settled in Minnesota. Some have been handcuffed, shackled and flown to Texas for questioning. After being released, they have had to find their own way home. One was asked to sign documents saying that she would voluntarily leave the U.S. She refused as part of a larger legal fight.
WORDS: 1256 - MOVED: 02/27/2026 6:00 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSImmigrationRefugeesReviewndLdWritethru/4d8d0ed8224056bd4a49160b360e91bd/text___
US military used laser to take down Border Protection drone, lawmakers say
SUMMARY: Members of Congress say the U.S. military used a laser to shoot down a Customs and Border Protection drone. The Federal Aviation Administration responded Thursday by closing more airspace near El Paso, Texas. No commercial flights were affected this time. The FAA shut down the El Paso airport and the surrounding area just over two weeks ago after another use of an anti-drone laser. The Defense Department and Transportation Department referred questions to the FAA. The FAA, CBP and the Pentagon issued a joint statement late Thursday that acknowledged the military used the anti-drone laser to mitigate what seemed like a threat.
WORDS: 886 - MOVED: 02/27/2026 2:20 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSDroneShotDownTexasthLdWritethru/55aaab7093f7d6dd174f909f3875001c/text___
Columbia student detained by ICE is abruptly released after Mamdani meets with Trump
SUMMARY: Federal immigration agents have detained a Columbia University student in her campus apartment. But hours after she was taken into custody on Thursday, the student was released, after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani expressed concerns about the arrest to President Donald Trump. The agreement followed an unrelated meeting between the Democratic mayor and Republican president. Attorneys for the student said ICE agents had entered her campus apartment under the guise of searching for a missing person. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said the woman's visa was terminated in 2016 for failing to attend class. Her attorneys didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
WORDS: 757 - MOVED: 02/26/2026 5:36 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSColumbiaImmigrationDetentionthLdWritethru/f76e678d014680390322703d46eb3b9c/text___
Deadly shooting in Cuban waters highlights obsessions with counter-revolution as US pressure mounts
SUMMARY: Word from the Cuban government of a deadly encounter between its troops and a boat carrying armed expatriates is casting a spotlight on Cubans living in the U.S. who still harbor aspirations of a counter-revolution 67 years after a guerrilla uprising ushered in communism. The Cuban government says its troops exchanged gunfire with a Florida-registered speedboat of armed Cuban expatriates, killing four people and wounding six. The brother of a deceased passenger says freedom became an obsession for his sibling but that death still came as a surprise. Secretary of State Marco Rubio questions Cuba’s account and says the U.S. will gather its own facts. Some Miami exiles also raise doubts.
WORDS: 931 - MOVED: 02/26/2026 10:14 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APCBCubaUSBoatShootingrdLdWritethru/fb2d5bdab3b45e93d46ee827ef099ca4/text___
What to know about Greenpeace and the oil pipeline lawsuit that threatens its future
SUMMARY: Greenpeace is fighting for its life in North Dakota, where a lawsuit threatens the environmental group's future with a judgment of hundreds of a millions of dollars in damages awarded to a pipeline company. A judge has said he'll sign an order requiring Greenpeace USA, Greenpeace International and Greenpeace Fund Inc. to pay an expected $345 million to Energy Transfer. Greenpeace USA has reported cash and assets nowhere near such hefty damages. The Dallas-based energy conglomerate brought the lawsuit in connection with protests and disruptions of the Dakota Access oil pipeline's construction in 2016 and 2017. The company owns and operates thousands of miles of pipelines in 44 states.
WORDS: 681 - MOVED: 02/26/2026 10:09 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSGreenpeaceLawsuitWhattoKnowstLdWritethru/b58e48a4ee5e2d6284b221a4ba58a4be/text___
Walz unveils anti-fraud package after Trump administration threatens to halt Medicaid funds
SUMMARY: Gov. Tim Walz has denounced the Trump administration’s latest threat to withhold federal funds from Minnesota as another step in a “retribution” campaign. He also unveiled a package of legislation Thursday intended to fight fraud in public programs, a problem that provided an impetus for the federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota. The governor made the announcement a day after Vice President JD Vance said the administration would “temporarily halt” some Medicaid funding to Minnesota over fraud concerns. But Walz’s proposals were in the works well beforehand. And they followed other initiatives Walz launched earlier to try to come to grips with the problem.
WORDS: 713 - MOVED: 02/26/2026 7:34 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSTrumpMinnesotaFraudndLdWritethru/53d1a0e589975376a47f047114a12571/text___
Crowds of Chicago mourners pay respects to Jesse Jackson at start of cross-country memorial services
SUMMARY: Memorial services for the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. begin in Chicago and stretch across the country to honor his long civil rights legacy. Starting Thursday, he lies in repose for two days at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters. Events also take place in Washington, D.C., and in South Carolina, where he was born and began his activism. Jackson died last week at 84 after a rare neurological disorder limited his mobility and speech. Tributes have spread worldwide. Chicago's L trains have used digital screens to display Jackson’s portrait and his well-known mantra, “I am Somebody!” His family says the services are open to all.
WORDS: 753 - MOVED: 02/26/2026 5:08 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSJesseJacksonMemorialthLdWritethru/649518382cd9f37a49fe393a6c9ec09b/text___
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WASHINGTON/POLITICS
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Bill Clinton says he 'did nothing wrong' with Epstein as he faces grilling over their relationship
SUMMARY: Former President Bill Clinton has told members of Congress he “did nothing wrong” in his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and saw no signs of Epstein's sexual abuse. Clinton is expected to tell lawmakers his connections to the disgraced financier ended before his sexual abuse came to light. Friday’s closed-door deposition in Chappaqua, New York, marks the first time a former president has been compelled to testify to Congress. It comes a day after former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sat with lawmakers for her own deposition. Republicans want to press Bill Clinton on a well-documented relationship with Epstein and Epstein’s former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.
WORDS: 913 - MOVED: 02/27/2026 12:25 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSEpsteinCongressClintonsthLdWritethru/9ea23ac5a5ffd1c7b9511e46308e8b21/text___
Transgender youths are targeted in Scouting America changes pushed by the Pentagon
SUMMARY: Scouting America says it’s keeping its new name and preserving its service to the 200,000 girls who participate in its programs following Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s announcement it’s altering several policies at the urging of the Pentagon. One of the policies targets transgender youths. Hegseth made the announcement Friday. Hegseth has criticized Scouting America’s historic rebrand in 2024 from the Boy Scouts and other changes he sees as part of “woke culture.” Scouting America began allowing gay youths in 2013, ended a blanket ban on gay adult leaders in 2015 and announced in 2017 it would accept transgender students. The Texas-based organization didn’t mention the policy change targeting transgender youths in a statement Friday.
WORDS: 1163 - MOVED: 02/27/2026 2:02 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSScoutingAmericaUSMilitarythLdWritethru/14a5fc1521fcd1e51103638f6f504214/text___
Trump heads to Texas, where 3 supporters are battling it out in the Senate Republican primary
SUMMARY: President Donald Trump is heading to Texas, his first trip after his State of the Union address. The Republican president plans to talk Friday about his energy and economic policies. But the red-hot Senate Republican primary race may overshadow Trump's message. The vote happens on Tuesday, and all three candidates in the competitive race plan to be at Trump's event. Sen. John Cornyn is fighting for a fifth term. Cornyn is being challenged by state Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt. All three are highlighting their ties to Trump. But Trump hasn't endorsed anybody in the race, saying he supports all of them.
WORDS: 878 - MOVED: 02/27/2026 5:26 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSTrumpTexasndLdWritethru/cd31dbec10c54ce230ae915e51cbccf0/text___
A new Gallup poll shows how Americans' sympathies have shifted in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
SUMMARY: A new Gallup poll shows that American sympathies in the Middle East have shifted dramatically toward the Palestinians after decades of overwhelming support for the Israelis. That shift accelerated during the war in Gaza. Fifty-four percent of Americans sympathized more with the Israelis three years ago compared to 31% for the Palestinians. Their support is now about evenly balanced between the Israelis and the Palestinians. The numbers reflect how support for Israel has become deeply contentious in the U.S. with profound implications for American politics and foreign policy. The changing sentiment has been largely driven by Democrats who are now much more likely to sympathize with Palestinians.
WORDS: 1226 - MOVED: 02/27/2026 9:06 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSPollingIsraelstLdWritethru/2614e22b0ddabe514424680b71e1802f/text___
Prosecutor claims that delayed charges against Abrego Garcia were 'extraordinary' but justified
SUMMARY: A representative of the U.S. Attorney’s office has claimed in federal court in Tennessee that the decision to charge Kilmar Abrego-Garcia with human smuggling was his alone while a Homeland Security agent has testified that the case against Abrego Garcia “just kept getting stronger.” The Salvadoran citizen was mistakenly deported last year but was eventually returned to the U.S. Abrego Garcia is trying to prove the animus of those officials motivated the charges against him. Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud testified Thursday she initiated the investigation and was under no pressure from higher-ups. Abrego Garcia immigrated to the U.S. illegally and has lived and worked in Maryland for years.
WORDS: 996 - MOVED: 02/26/2026 5:06 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSDeportationErrorAbregoGarciathLdWritethru/62d17015d5d075897938a971e30e3276/text___
Judge rejects request to block Trump White House from building its $400 million ballroom project
SUMMARY: A federal judge has rejected a preservationist group’s request to block the Trump administration from continuing construction of a $400 million ballroom where it demolished the East Wing of the White House. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled Thursday that the National Trust for Historic Preservation was unlikely to succeed on the merits of its bid to temporarily halt President Donald Trump’s project. The preservationists sought an order pausing the ballroom project until it undergoes multiple independent reviews and wins approval from Congress. Trump proceeded with the project before seeking input from a pair of federal review panels. Trump hailed the ruling, but the National Trust said the judge's decision also determined it had standing to continue the case.
WORDS: 740 - MOVED: 02/26/2026 5:47 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSTrumpWhiteHouseBallroomthLdWritethru/55c2c4c322c01053bfe5b856362c0442/text___
What Americans think about Trump's judgment on military force as Iran talks resume: new AP-NORC poll
SUMMARY: A new AP-NORC poll finds that as the U.S. and Iran head into their next round of nuclear talks in Geneva, many U.S. adults continue to view Iran’s nuclear program as a threat. At the same time, few Americans have high trust in President Donald Trump’s judgment on the use of military force abroad. The survey was conducted Feb. 19-23, as military tensions built in the Middle East between the U.S. and Iran. It found about half of U.S. adults are “extremely” or “very” concerned Iran’s nuclear program poses a direct threat to the U.S., but only about one-quarter say they have high trust in Trump on relationships with adversaries or the use of military force abroad.
WORDS: 1167 - MOVED: 02/26/2026 5:02 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSAPPollIranrdLdWritethru/41f4f308683c2ee10420225e1380cf21/text___
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INTERNATIONAL
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Rubio plans to visit Israel next week as US-Iran tensions remain high after latest talks
SUMMARY: Secretary of State Marco Rubio will make a quick trip to Israel early next week, according to the State Department. Tensions between the United States and Iran remain high after the latest nuclear talks and U.S. forces are gathering in the region. The U.S. Embassy in Israel had earlier urged staff who want to leave to depart, joining other nations in encouraging people to leave the region and signaling that U.S. military action might be imminent. A confidential report from the U.N. nuclear watchdog meanwhile confirmed that Iran has not offered inspectors access to sensitive nuclear sites since they were heavily bombed during the 12-day war launched by Israel last June.
WORDS: 822 - MOVED: 02/27/2026 11:40 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APMLIranUSthLdWritethru/436162f886bdaed30c8dd0cdbe1b5aea/text___
UN nuclear watchdog says it's unable to verify whether Iran has suspended all uranium enrichment
SUMMARY: A U.N. nuclear watchdog report says Iran has blocked inspectors from reaching key nuclear sites hit during a June war. The IAEA warns it cannot confirm whether uranium enrichment has stopped or where any enriched material is stored. The agency says Iran has four declared enrichment facilities, but it has lost “continuity of knowledge” about stockpiles. The IAEA says Iran still holds a large amount of uranium enriched to 60%, close to weapons grade. Inspectors now rely on satellite images and have seen vehicle activity near storage tunnels. The IAEA chief also attended recent U.S.-Iran talks in Geneva.
WORDS: 723 - MOVED: 02/27/2026 2:06 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEUIranNuclearthLdWritethru/ccf574a324504b985f4b158f9d3d6941/text___
Royal prerogative: King Charles III banishes Andrew to buttress the House of Windsor's foundations
SUMMARY: No one is bigger than the monarchy. Not even the king’s brother. In the end, that reality spelled the end of Prince Andrew’s life as a prince of the realm. From now on, the scandal-plagued British royal will be known simply as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. As details of Andrew’s links to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein continued to dribble out and Parliament raised questions about his rent-free residence at a sprawling country house near Windsor Castle, King Charles III on Thursday moved to shield the monarchy from any further revelations.
WORDS: 1069 - MOVED: 10/31/2025 4:12 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEUBritainAndrewsDemisethLdWritethru/33ec8ff4508ef1b36aad7532181245e8/text___
Pakistan is in 'open war' with Afghanistan after latest strikes, defense minister says
SUMMARY: Pakistan and Afghanistan have traded attacks in a dramatic escalation of tensions between the countries. Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif said Friday the two countries are now in “open war.” Afghanistan launched a cross-border attack on Pakistan late Thursday, saying it was in retaliation for earlier Pakistani airstrikes. Pakistan then carried out airstrikes in Kabul and two other Afghan provinces Friday. Tensions have been high between the neighbors for months. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan’s Taliban government of harboring militant groups that then stage attacks across the border and also of allying with its archrival India. A ceasefire ended the fighting, although the two sides still occasionally trade fire.
WORDS: 1099 - MOVED: 02/27/2026 3:46 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APASPakistanAfghanistanthLdWritethru/98927b79ee9ef5741bf0804956d3c2e6/text___
AP reporter speaks to Iranian doctors who say agents intimidated them and obstructed medical care
SUMMARY: Iranian doctors say that during last month's deadly crackdown on nationwide protests, security agents swarmed hospitals in multiple cities, hunting for wounded protesters. The agents intimidated medical staff, prevented treatment and seized protesters from hospitals. Some doctors tried to hide wounded patients, recording false diagnoses in the records so agents wouldn't find them. Other doctors ran clandestine clinics treating traumatic wounds. This story is based on AP interviews with three doctors in Iran and six Iranian medical professionals living abroad who are in contact with colleagues on the ground, as well as AP’s verification of more than a dozen videos posted on social media.
WORDS: 1768 - MOVED: 02/27/2026 8:32 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APMLIranHospitalsCrackdownrdLdWritethru/326f127b5fef610a89f89e5c164b473c/text___
Brussels orders probe of Mandelson's Epstein ties while EU trade rep
SUMMARY: The European Commission has asked its anti-fraud watchdog to examine Peter Mandelson’s links to Jeffrey Epstein during his time as the EU’s trade chief. A commission spokesperson confirmed the probe on Thursday after many documents become public. The OLAF watchdog agency has a track record of probing fraud and misconduct across EU institutions, but it does not confirm an investigation. Mandelson faces scrutiny in Britain over alleged misconduct in public office tied to Epstein. His past relationship with Epstein also creates political trouble for Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
WORDS: 687 - MOVED: 02/27/2026 8:57 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEUMandelsonEpsteinProbendLdWritethru/b2fc19f8bb13ea69ce5cac4782fb89e4/text___
19 deputies of China's legislature, including 9 military officers, removed before annual meeting
SUMMARY: China’s legislature has removed 19 lawmakers, including nine military officers, as President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption drive shows no sign of letting up. The legislature's Standing Committee announced the dismissals late Thursday, a week before the annual National People’s Congress opens. It gave no reasons, but removals are generally linked to corruption probes. Other recent purges have also hit the military, including the removal of a top general last month. Analysts say Xi uses the campaign to sideline rivals and lock in loyalty. The change is unlikely to affect the congress, which typically rubber-stamps decisions by the ruling Communist Party.
WORDS: 311 - MOVED: 02/27/2026 9:04 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APASChinaCongressMilitarystLdWritethru/692a549b012e601200fc31638abf7a2e/text___
Macron to visit top-secret sub base as some Europeans worry about US nuclear guarantees
SUMMARY: President Emmanuel Macron is updating France’s nuclear deterrence doctrine as Europe worries about Russia and doubts U.S. protection under Donald Trump. On Monday, Macron will speak at a French submarine base and signal how France thinks about using nuclear weapons. The war in Ukraine and Russia’s nuclear threats have shaken Europe’s security assumptions. Analysts say some Europeans are looking to France for a backup nuclear guarantee. France is the only nuclear power in the European Union. Macron last laid down policy in 2020 and said France has fewer than 300 warheads. Experts are listening for any stronger promise to protect allies.
WORDS: 1062 - MOVED: 02/27/2026 6:05 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEUFranceNuclearWeaponsstLdWritethru/3a8fda3e89eb9badc52f063fa46cbf30/text___
Airstrikes hit Afghan capital of Kabul, hours after Afghanistan attacks Pakistan
SUMMARY: Pakistan has carried out airstrikes in Kabul and two other Afghan provinces, Afghanistan’s government spokesperson says. They came hours after Afghanistan launched a cross-border attack on Pakistan in the latest escalation of violence between the neighboring countries. The clashes are making a Qatar-mediated ceasefire appear increasingly shaky. There was no immediate information on the exact location of the explosions in the Afghan capital in the early hours of Friday, or on any potential casualties. Afghanistan’s military launched a cross-border attack on Pakistan on Thursday night, claiming to have captured more than a dozen Pakistani army posts in the latest escalation of violence between the volatile neighbors.
WORDS: 1011 - MOVED: 02/26/2026 4:38 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APASAfghanistanPakistanthLdWritethru/513791ef82fb8c2e4acce08c2b80c41a/text___
What to know about the boat shooting in Cuban waters that killed 4
SUMMARY: Cuban soldiers confronted a speedboat carrying 10 people as the vessel approached the island and opened fire on the troops, who fired back. That's according to the Cuban government, which says its soldiers killed four people and wounded six. The Cuban Ministry of the Interior said the people aboard the boat Wednesday were Cubans living in the U.S. and accused them of trying to infiltrate the country to engage in terrorism. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it was not a U.S. government operation. The confrontation has resulted in investigations in both Cuba and the United States and could add to tensions between the two countries.
WORDS: 1017 - MOVED: 02/26/2026 3:54 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APCBCubaUSWhattoKnowthLdWritethru/b951fbbfced99f8cd350e9a5010e100d/text___
Cuba says 4 killed in speedboat shooting were attempting to infiltrate the country
SUMMARY: Cuba says the 10 passengers on a boat that opened fire on its soldiers were armed Cubans living in the U.S. who were trying to infiltrate the island and unleash terrorism. The announcement late Wednesday came hours after Cuba said its soldiers killed four people and wounded six others aboard a Florida-registered speed boat that had entered Cuban waters and opened fire on the soldiers first. Cuba’s government says the majority of the 10 people on the boat “have a known history of criminal and violent activity.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the U.S. is gathering its own information.
WORDS: 1325 - MOVED: 02/25/2026 9:14 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APCBCubaUSBoatShootingthLdWritethru/68e07061282dc2470993f6539bd0bde2/text___
After tense US-Greenland standoff, Denmark calls an early election
SUMMARY: Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has announced that the Scandinavian country will hold a parliamentary election on March 24. She is giving voters a say several months early as the country digests a standoff with the U.S. over President Donald Trump’s designs on Greenland. Voters will determine who sits in the Folketing, or parliament. It has 179 seats — 175 of which go to lawmakers representing Denmark and two apiece to lawmakers from Greenland and another semiautonomous territory, the Faroe Islands. A general election must be held at least every four years but the prime minister of the NATO and European Union member country can call one at any time.
WORDS: 871 - MOVED: 02/26/2026 11:59 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEUDenmarkElectionthLdWritethru/3967d75664b94a87089fdc17985499bd/text___
Ukraine says Russia launched a major aerial attack before Kyiv's talks with US
SUMMARY: Russia launched a barrage of 420 drones and 39 missiles at Ukraine overnight, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The bombardment targeted critical infrastructure and residential areas across eight regions of Ukraine, Zelenskyy said Thursday. Officials said dozens of people, including children, were injured. The attack came hours before U.S. and Ukrainian envoys prepared to hold more talks in Geneva on ending the war that is now in its fifth year. Zelenskyy said late Wednesday he had spoken by phone with U.S. President Donald Trump and thanked him for his “efforts and engagement” in pursuing peace negotiations.
WORDS: 893 - MOVED: 02/26/2026 10:08 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEURussiaUkraineWarthLdWritethru/74adada5f3cf9f56423d6c15100a6dbc/text___
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BUSINESS
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US stocks sink and oil prices rise as worries about AI, inflation and possible war hit Wall Street
SUMMARY: U.S. stocks are sinking as Wall Street gets back to hunting companies that could become losers because of the AI revolution. A surprisingly discouraging update on inflation is also hurting the market Friday, while oil prices climb with worries about tensions between the United States and Iran. The S&P 500 fell 0.6% and is staggering toward the finish of what could be just its second losing month in the last 10. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 497 points, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.8%. Block’s stock soared after cutting nearly half its workforce because it said AI tools can replace them.
WORDS: 914 - MOVED: 02/27/2026 5:58 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APFinancialMarketsthLdWritethru/f248d9463d4dffc7a9ffa6635afda137/text___
Anthropic refuses to bend to Pentagon on AI safeguards as dispute nears deadline
SUMMARY: A public showdown between the Trump administration and Anthropic is hitting an impasse as military officials demand the artificial intelligence company bend its ethical policies or risk damaging its business. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei drew a sharp red line 24 hours before the Friday deadline, declaring his company “cannot in good conscience accede” to the Pentagon’s final demands to allow unrestricted use of its technology. Anthropic made the chatbot Claude and can likely afford losing a defense contract. But the ultimatum from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth poses broader risks at the peak of the company’s meteoric rise from a little-known computer science research lab in San Francisco to one of the world’s most valuable startups.
WORDS: 1111 - MOVED: 02/27/2026 9:28 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSPentagonAIAnthropicDeadlinerdLdWritethru/b72d1894bc842d9acf026df3867bee8a/text___
Anthropic CEO says it 'cannot in good conscience accede' to Pentagon's demands for AI use
SUMMARY: Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei says the artificial intelligence company “cannot in good conscience accede” to the Pentagon’s demands to allow wider use of its technology. The maker of the AI chatbot Claude said Thursday that it’s not walking away from negotiations but that new contract language received from the Pentagon “made virtually no progress on preventing Claude’s use for mass surveillance of Americans or in fully autonomous weapons.” Top Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell says the department has no interest in doing either and wants to use the technology in legal ways. Anthropic faces an ultimatum to allow the military to use the company’s AI as it sees fit by Friday or risk losing its government contract.
WORDS: 751 - MOVED: 02/26/2026 7:32 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSPentagonAIAnthropicthLdWritethru/9b28dda41bdb52b6a378fa9fc80b8fda/text___
Netflix walks away from Warner Bros deal, clearing the path for Paramount
SUMMARY: Netflix is declining to raise its offer to buy Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio and streaming business in a stunning move that effectively puts Paramount in a position to take over its storied Hollywood rival. On Thursday, after Warner’s board announced that Skydance-owned Paramount’s offer was superior to the agreement it had previously struck with Netflix, the streaming giant said the new price that would be required to buy Warner would make it a deal that is “no longer financially attractive.” Unlike Netflix’s bid, Paramount wants all of Warner’s operations, including networks like CNN and Discovery. That would put CNN under the same roof as Paramount’s CBS and combine two of Hollywood’s last five remaining studios.
WORDS: 1285 - MOVED: 02/26/2026 9:36 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSWarnerBrosthLdWritethru/5ddba4049473903b35b65e62e37d66bf/text___
What to know about Defense Protection Act and the Pentagon's Anthropic ultimatum
SUMMARY: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave Anthropic an ultimatum this week: Open its artificial intelligence technology for unrestricted military use by Friday, or risk losing its government contract. Defense officials in the Trump administration also warned they could designate Anthropic as a supply chain risk, or invoke a Cold War-era law called the Defense Production Act to give the military more sweeping authority to use its products, even if the company doesn’t approve. Some experts say that using the law in this way would be unprecedented, and could bring future legal challenges. The government’s efforts to essentially force Anthropic’s hand also underscore a wider, contentious debate over AI’s role in national security.
WORDS: 1003 - MOVED: 02/26/2026 5:18 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSDefenseProductionActndLdWritethru/f05674f7195051ab843e5087d12c8cf8/text___
Instagram says it will notify parents if teens 'repeatedly' search for terms related to suicide
SUMMARY: Instagram will start alerting parents if their kids repeatedly search for terms clearly associated with suicide or self-harm. The alerts will only go to parents who are enrolled in Instagram's parental supervision program. Instagram says it already blocks such content from showing up in teen accounts' search results and directs people to helplines instead. The announcement Thursday comes as Meta faces two trials over harms to children. A trial underway in Los Angeles questions whether Meta’s platforms deliberately addict and harm children. Another, in New Mexico, seeks to determine whether Meta failed to protect children from sexual exploitation on its platforms.
WORDS: 444 - MOVED: 02/26/2026 2:13 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSInstagramSuicidendLdWritethru/b2d193467ea253fc375580b127019a0b/text___
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HEALTH/SCIENCE
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NASA revamps Artemis moon landing program to reduce flight gaps and risk
SUMMARY: NASA is revamping its Artemis moon landing program. NASA's new administrator Jared Isaacman announced the shake-up in the flight lineup Friday, days after the space agency's new moon rocket returned to its Florida hangar for more repairs. Artemis II — a lunar fly-around by four astronauts — is off until at least April. The follow-up mission Artemis III had been targeting a landing near the moon's south pole by another pair of astronauts. But Isaacman says that mission will now focus on testing a lunar lander in orbit around Earth in 2027. That would be followed by possibly two moon landings by astronauts in 2028.
WORDS: 495 - MOVED: 02/27/2026 3:34 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSSCINASAArtemisMoonshotstLdWritethru/83132fc4f86c3491984844fc309e25d2/text___
Ancient coupling may have happened more between human females and Neanderthal males
SUMMARY: Ancient linkups may have happened more frequently between female humans and male Neanderthals, according to an new genetic analysis. Scientists know that Neanderthals and humans mated because there is a small percentage of Neanderthal DNA in most modern humans. But they also know that the Neanderthal DNA is not distributed evenly throughout the human genome. Scientists looked at the human genes that got interspersed with Neanderthal ones during an ancient mating event and saw a surprising human fingerprint that told them the explanation may be mating behavior. The new study was published Thursday in the journal Science.
WORDS: 653 - MOVED: 02/26/2026 7:01 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APSCIHumanNeanderthalGenesndLdWritethru/5bedad6998e5b397f28d5a0eaceb2a8b/text___
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ENTERTAINMENT
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30 years after Pokémon's release, fans are still trying to catch 'em all
SUMMARY: In the years Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green were released in 1996 for Nintendo Game Boy in Japan, marking the debut of Pokémon, the franchise has taken over the globe with its animated shows, mobile games and highly coveted trading cards. Friday marks the 30th year anniversary of Pokémon as its popularity continues into the next generation with fans young and old. Avid collectors may buy and sell cards for thousands of dollars each, with the fervor leading to a string of break-ins at card shops in California. Fans say they have found community around the game.
WORDS: 777 - MOVED: 02/27/2026 5:02 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSWorldPokemonAnniversarystLdWritethru/fff7de1f0236956154cc97ecff105681/text___
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LIFESTYLE
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One scandal too many forces UK monarchy to sideline Prince Andrew after years of tabloid fodder
SUMMARY: Prince Andrew has been banished from the royal whirl after emails emerged this week showing that he had remained in contact with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein longer than he previously admitted. The House of Windsor has finally moved to insulate the monarchy from years of tawdry headlines about Andrew’s dodgy friends and suspicious business deals. Buckingham Palace on Friday released a statement from Andrew saying that he had agreed to give up use of his last remaining royal titles so that continued allegations about him “don’t distract from the work of His Majesty.”
WORDS: 1114 - MOVED: 10/18/2025 10:10 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEUBritainRoyalsthLdWritethru/91c4bec9a5cf3de8fcb16f9c1fe52e60/text___
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SPORTS
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Teenage girls are most likely to tear their ACLs. Parents say more must be done to protect them
SUMMARY: The ranks of female high school athletes who tore their anterior cruciate ligament are growing fast and researchers are pressing the sports world to take the devastating injury more seriously and trying to bolster prevention efforts. Despite decades of research on it, parents, researchers and trainers say that information isn't being used enough by teams, coaches or sports leagues. High school-age female athletes are the most vulnerable, sustaining ACL injuries at higher rates than both adults and their male counterparts. Trainers and researchers say there are effective pre-workout warm ups and strengthening routines that are designed to reduce the risk of an ACL injury.
WORDS: 1342 - MOVED: 02/27/2026 2:04 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSGirlsSportsACLInjuries/b7cf544bfec1ac44e975bbd79d67fdfc/text___
US hockey player Brady Tkachuk slams White House TikTok as 'clearly fake' after anti-Canada slur
SUMMARY: U.S. hockey player Brady Tkachuk says a White House TikTok video falsely paints him as insulting Canadians. Tkachuk calls the clip clearly fake. He says the audio and lip movement do not match. The video uses fabricated audio that includes a bleeped slur about Canadians. Tkachuk says he would never use that language. He also denies shouting “close the northern border” during Team USA’s phone call with President Donald Trump after Sunday’s Olympic gold medal win over Canada. The team has returned from Italy and is resuming the NHL season.
WORDS: 854 - MOVED: 02/26/2026 7:59 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APOLYHKOUSTkachukVideostLdWritethru/743d42c4ad45a0eb36e281f70a505661/text___
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