作者： root

The mad dash to award the Maduro raid pilot the Medal of Honor in time for the State of the Union

By Haley Britzky, Alayna Treene
3 hr ago
PUBLISHED Feb 27, 2026, 3:54 PM ET

Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover receives the Congressional Medal of Honor during U.S. President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 24, 2026.

Nathan Howard/Reuters

When President Donald Trump visited Fort Bragg, North Carolina, earlier this month, the commander of the elite Army Delta Force responsible for carrying out the operation to seize Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro made clear there was one man in particular who deserved the highest military honor: Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover.

Slover, an Army special operations pilot, was guiding his MH-47 helicopter to a landing in Caracas when the aircraft was “immediately” fired upon by multiple machine guns at close range, according to the citation that would eventually accompany that honor. The cockpit was hit by 15 armor-piercing rounds, four of which hit Slover in the leg.

Slover maintained control of the helicopter to ensure the safety of the Special Forces soldiers on board as they exited the aircraft to complete the mission.

The commander told Trump that Slover should receive the Medal of Honor for his actions, according to an official familiar with the matter. Trump was quickly convinced and signaled to the team he was going to do just that, two senior White House officials told CNN.

Less than two weeks later, Slover, who sustained serious injuries during the operation, stood stoically during the State of the Union address as the recognizable light blue ribbon of the Medal of Honor was secured around his neck, the medal gently placed in the center of the tie on his dress uniform.

The speed at which the Medal of Honor was approved is highly unusual. Approval for the award can take years due to the intensely bureaucratic process for consideration. There is also sometimes dispute about whether or not to award the medal, a senior White House official said, and in this case, “the president made the decision and the entire team worked together to execute.”

The award was expedited at the direction of Trump, who was eager to make the announcement at the State of the Union — an address his team had carefully crafted to include inspiring stories to engage the audience, the officials said.

Two sources familiar with the situation said that all official paperwork and processes were followed for Slover’s medal, but at a much faster timeline, helped along by military leaders’ willingness to support it and make the recommendations in-person. One of the sources acknowledged the process was “blazing fast” but said verbal approvals and briefings pushed things along as the paperwork caught up. An Army spokesperson said Friday that the service is “incredibly proud” of Slover and also said that “all statutory requirements” for the award were followed.

A Trump official tasked with expediting the process for Slover worked furiously in the days following the president’s visit to Fort Bragg to rush the paperwork through, the senior White House officials said. The camera-ready moment in which Trump called for the medal to be given to Slover was written into the first draft of his speech, one of the officials said. However, it wasn’t clear until Tuesday, the day Trump was delivering his address, whether the White House could complete the process in time.

“The White House and the Pentagon were proud to work expeditiously at the President’s direction to ensure this great American hero received the award he most certainly deserves,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNN.

Still, Slover had to agree to be featured in such a public event. The physical toll of the operation to seize Maduro has been significant; Trump said during the address that Slover was hit “very badly in the leg and hip” by armor-piercing rounds that “shred(ded) his leg.” While Slover stood tall while he was being honored, when Trump’s speech began moving on, Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, commander of Joint Special Operations Command, appeared to lean forward and help Slover sit back into a wheelchair sitting behind him.

The second source familiar with the situation said that his physical recovery pending, Slover wants to continue his career as an operational pilot, though it’s unclear if that will be possible, both physically and as those working with special operations typically take great lengths to avoid being publicly recognized. That calculus undoubtedly weighed on him as a soldier who has spent his career in the shadows, engaged in covert operations, but who was suddenly thrust under a national spotlight.

Slover is “incredibly humble and stoic,” the second source familiar said, and someone who “has never and would never have the expectation of getting this medal for his actions.” The fanfare, they said, is not something he has sought or, frankly, enjoys.

“In his eyes this is what he signed up to do,” the source said. “He’s honored to have received this, but this is just what he would have done whether there was a medal at the end or not.”

There have been discussions about holding another more private ceremony with Trump and Slover’s family and friends, who traditionally participate in events when a Medal of Honor is awarded, the second source familiar with the situation said. Trump also said Tuesday that 10 other soldiers from the mission will receive awards, though it’s unclear what those will be or when that ceremony would be held.

The White House is holding a Medal of Honor ceremony on Monday honoring service members from several conflicts, though the listed recipients do not include service members who participated in the recent Venezuela operation.

While details of Slover’s service are scarce, likely given the sensitive nature of the units he has been assigned to and his deployments, the awards he has received paint a picture of a challenging career.

Slover enlisted in the Army in 2005, and attended Warrant Officer Candidate School and flight school, becoming a Chinook pilot. Army warrant officers are considered the ultimate experts in their craft, and it’s rare for a soldier to make it to the rank of CW5 as Slover has; only three to four percent of warrant officers rise to that level, the Army said in 2023.

A list of his awards provided by Army Special Operations Command shows that he has received two Distinguished Flying Crosses — one with a valor device and one without — a highly prestigious medal given to service members for heroism in an aerial fight. The “V” for valor device denotes acts of heroism “above what is normally expected,” according to the medal’s criteria, “while engaged in direct combat with an enemy of the United States.”

Slover has also received the Bronze Star with one oak leaf cluster, a Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, and more.

On January 3, he was flying an MH-47 — the Special Operations variant of the CH-47 Chinook helicopter — during the operation in Venezuela, dubbed Operation Absolute Resolve. According to the official citation for his Medal of Honor, Slover “skillfully led the helicopter through a dense jungle valley in a mountainous region” and “near insurmountable surface to air threats.”

Trump, telling the story of Slover’s heroism at the State of the Union, said that after landing the helicopter safely, Slover told his co-pilot who was also wounded to take over, saying, “I’m about to pass out.”

“Chief Warrant Officer Five Slover’s heroic actions undoubtedly saved countless America lives and ensured the complete and overwhelming success of the mission,” the citation says. “His gallantry under fire and extraordinary valor are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army.”

The recommendation process for the Medal of Honor, according to flow charts on an Army website outlining the details, involve reviews of the valorous action by the service member’s chain of command, a decorations board which determines if the Medal of Honor is warranted or not, consultation with the service chief and service secretary, and finally sending the packet up to the Secretary of Defense who can recommend the award to the president. The president has to give final approval to award the Medal of Honor.

As the process was expedited with the leaders’ recommendation being taken straight to the president, in person, Slover still had to agree to participate in such a public moment. The second source familiar with the situation said he agreed after speaking with other leaders about it, roughly a week before the State of the Union.

Every element came together, and on Tuesday evening in the Capitol, Slover stood with the help of a walker and stared straight ahead as Braga, commander of Joint Special Operations Command, placed the nation’s highest medal for military valor around his neck.

As the crowd applauded and chanted “USA!” Slover nodded and thanked those around him, showing little emotion aside from a brief moment with his wife, when he smiled down at her and squeezed her hand.

特朗普不满意美伊谈判进展 称有时不得不动用武力

发布/2026年2月28日 07:29

特朗普2月27日在离开白宫时对记者说，伊朗不能拥有核武器。 （彭博社）

美国总统特朗普“不满意”伊朗核谈判进展，并表示“有时候不得不使用武力”。但他过后又在社媒贴文称，“宁愿以和平方式解决问题”。

路透社报道，特朗普星期五（2月27日）在离开白宫时对记者说，伊朗不能拥有核武器，称伊朗不愿向美国提供美方“应得的东西”，他“很不满意”。

他说，美国尚未就是否对伊朗发起军事打击作出最终决定，将观察“进一步谈判后会发生什么”。

美国已经在中东地区进行大规模军事部署，记者问特朗普向伊朗动武的可能性，他说，美国拥有世界上最强大的军队。“我当然不想动用武力，但有时候不得不动用武力。”

特朗普也重申不允许伊朗拥有核武器，反对伊朗进行任何铀浓缩活动。

延伸阅读

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美伊斡旋方称取得“显著进展” 下周继续技术面磋商 消息：伊朗试图以经济利益 让特朗普就核计划达成协议

特朗普表示，27日晚些时候将就伊朗问题进行更多讨论。他没有具体说明与谁讨论。但一名知情人士透露，一直充当美伊调解方的阿曼已于27日派外长前往华盛顿，与美国副总统万斯就美伊问题进行磋商。

美国与伊朗的第三轮间接谈判2月26日在瑞士日内瓦举行。谈判未达成协议，但各方作出积极评价，并宣布计划3月2日在奥地利首都维也纳继续进行技术讨论。谈判当天，特朗普据称听取了军方有关对伊朗军事选项的报告。

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The most viral Jeffrey Epstein conspiracy theories, debunked

2026-02-27T18:11:12-0500 / CBS News

You can’t go on social media these days without being served outlandish conspiracy theories about the Epstein files. The posts have racked up millions of views. But in the age of AI, it can be hard to parse out what’s real from what isn’t.

So we worked with our CBS News Confirmed team to understand what, if anything, underpins the most viral conspiracy theories about Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and their supposed ties to some of the biggest news stories in American history. Here’s what we found.

Epstein alive and living in Israel? FALSE

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You may have seen photos circulating on social media that purport to show Epstein walking around Tel Aviv, flanked by bodyguards. When investigated, though, we found these photos show obvious marks of being produced through AI.

For example, this photo posted on Reddit on Feb. 1 shows a Gemini AI watermark on the bottom right corner, and one of the signs in the background reads “Haangus Ev.”, which is not a real street name.

Next, some users were pointing to Fortnite as further evidence to back this theory. The argument there was that Epstein’s Fortnite username had newly become active again in Israel.

But this, too, is false. So let’s talk about how it came about.

In the files, there are movie and subscription receipts sent to Epstein’s YouTube account “littlestjeff1,” which is registered under his email “jeevacation@gmail.com.”

There is also an email that references a $25.95 charge for VBucks, the currency used on Fortnite. The VBucks email, however, makes no reference of a username, and the sender and recipient are redacted.

Social media users are simply making the assumption that Epstein’s username on YouTube would be the same username he’d use on Fortnite. And they’re making the assumption that Epstein had a Fortnite account at all, when we actually don’t know who the sender and recipient of that email were.

There is a profile for a Fortnite user named “littlestjeff1. And that user appeared to be active as recently as 2025, which is after Jeffrey Epstein’s death. When all of the speculation around this account being proof that Epstein was still alive started swirl on social, that profile suddenly went private in February, which only added fuel to the flames.

But Fortnite has now come out and said that an existing account owner simply changed their username to “littlestjeff1” after the final batch of Epstein files were released and Epstein’s YouTube name was revealed. And Fortnite confirmed that they have no record of Epstein’s email addresses existing in their account system.

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The Free Press: WATCH: The Epstein Tapes, Part II: The Eye of the Law

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Then, there are the photos that the Metropolitan Correctional Center released as evidence after Epstein’s death. Many people on social media are now pulling up these images, next to images of Jeffrey Epstein in life, pointing out disparities in various facial features, and using those disparities as proof that he isn’t actually dead.

CBS News reviewed images of Epstein from 2004 to 2019. And yes, it’s true that some of the facial features do look different. But after death, changes can occur in a face due to swelling, according to research published by the NIH. Bacteria break down tissues and produce gases that contribute to the body’s decomposition process.

And many of Epstein’s distinct facial features are still there — like his curly gray hair, dark bushy eyebrows, deep-set smile lines, a line across the chin, a similarly shaped nostril. There is a distinct indent between his eyebrows that is seen throughout the years, as well as wrinkles and bags under his eyes. Forensic scientists have conducted research that suggests facial creases may be resilient enough to changes caused by bloating after death and can be used for identification purposes.

These images of Epstein after his death show similarities to images of him from a suicide attempt a month prior, and also images of him in 2004, 2013 and 2017.

Comparison of facial features in photos of Jeffrey Epstein from 2004, 2013, 2017, July 2019 and after his death in August 2019. U.S. Department of Justice

The New York City Chief Medical Examiner ruled in August 2019 that Epstein’s cause of death was a suicide by hanging. A forensic pathologist, who was hired by Epstein’s brother to investigate the death and was present during Epstein’s autopsy, said the fingerprints on the body found in Epstein’s cell match those that were taken of Epstein during his 2006 arrest in Florida, 60 Minutes reported.

Epstein linked to JonBenet Ramsey? FALSE

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Shortly after the latest batch of Epstein files was released by the U.S. Department of Justice, social media users started circulating this photo from Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse. It shows a little girl on Epstein’s shoulders, wearing a jumper similar to one worn in a well-known photo of JonBenet Ramsey.

Yes, the two items are similar, but the fact remains that it’s a generic piece of clothing which would have been worn by many children. It can’t be held up as conclusive evidence of any ties between Epstein, his sex trafficking of minors, and the 1996 death of JonBenet at her family’s home in Boulder, Colorado.

For what it’s worth, JonBenet’s father, John Ramsey, also recently responded to the viral conspiracy theory, telling TMZ there is “absolutely no truth to it.”

Epstein, Maxwell linked to Madeleine McCann? FALSE

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Just as the story of JonBenet has fascinated the masses for years, so has the story of Madeleine McCann, a young British girl who went missing at the age of 3 while on vacation with her parents in Portugal in 2007.

Now, there are a number of viral videos on TikTok and Instagram highlighting the resemblance between a person of interest seen in a composite sketch and Maxwell.

That sketch of a person of interest is real. Private detectives working for McCann’s parents released a sketch on Aug. 6, 2009, showing a woman they believed may have information about their child’s disappearance. The sketch depicts a woman who was seen by two British men in Barcelona three days after McCann went missing on May 3.

But a photo of Maxwell from May 2007, the month McCann disappeared, shows Maxwell had longer hair than the sketch. And a review of several other photos of Maxwell throughout 2007 shows her hairstyle remained consistently longer than the sketch.

Then there’s something else in the files that creators are pointing to as further evidence of this theory. A U.K. resident submitted an online tip to the FBI regarding an alleged sighting of Maxwell with McCann in September 2009. And yes, that is really in the files. But it’s a tip, not a confirmed sighting. The DOJ has noted that the released files “may include fake or falsely submitted images, documents or videos, as everything that was sent to the FBI by the public was included…”

Lastly, people are sharing this surveillance footage purporting to show a woman walking with McCann down a street shortly after her disappearance. In one angle, the woman appears to be wearing a head covering. At other times, she appears to resemble Ghislaine Maxwell. While the video is real, there is no concrete evidence that it shows either Maxwell or McCann.

So, the CBS News Confirmed team deems this theory false as well.

A lookalike swapped for Ghislaine Maxwell? FALSE

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After Ghislaine Maxwell’s deposition in February, people started pointing to perceived discrepancies in her facial features and voice to support a conspiracy theory that the woman we saw in the deposition was not, in fact, Ghislaine Maxwell, but a lookalike that had been swapped in for her.

Comparing images of Maxwell from 2015, 2016 and 2020 to the 2026 deposition footage, CBS News identified numerous similarities in her facial features. Photos throughout the years show Maxwell’s dark thin eyebrows, slightly protruding ears and thin lips that have a distinct shape when at rest. Maxwell’s hair also has a rounded shape with a defined indent in the 2026 deposition and also in images of her from 2015.

Some users claimed Maxwell’s voice sounded different in her 2026 deposition when compared to other videos of her speaking. Videos released in the DOJ files show she spoke with a softer tone in clips that appear to be from depositions in 2015 and 2016.

Maxwell has been jailed since her July 2020 arrest. She was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Her attorney David Oscar Markus confirmed it was Maxwell who attended the deposition.

“Yes, that was Ghislaine in the House Oversight photo. Sigh. Jail is crushing and remember she was in torturous conditions — including sleep deprivation — back in New York. There are a lot of conspiracy theories out there but this one might be in the hall of fame,” Markus told CBS News.

Maxwell’s siblings have consistently posted about their sister’s imprisonment. And the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ inmates database lists Maxwell.

Comparison of facial features in photos of Ghislaine Maxwell from 2015, 2016, 2020 and 2026. U.S. Department of Justice; Getty Images

A few days later, a new AI-generated video of Ghislaine Maxwell started circulating — this one purporting to show her standing on a street in Canada, with gray hair but her recognizable facial features. When investigated, we determined that it’s an AI face swap. And when reached for comment, the video’s creator confirmed, saying: “Never meant for it to escalate the way it did! My intent was to make satire content but people reuploaded and interpreted the video without checking with me first, purposefully misleading people for engagement.”

Epstein tortured girl with a magnifying glass? FALSE

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Users have claimed that an old video clip shows Epstein torturing a young girl with a magnifying glass. They share a screenshot showing that a caller reported to the FBI a viral video of what he said appeared to be Epstein torturing a young woman.

But this video has been debunked. It’s actually a clip from the adult film “Drea Morgan Stakeout Under Glass” starring Drea Morgan and a male actor, named Lew Rubens, who bears some resemblance to Epstein. But it is not, in fact, Epstein.

Epstein orchestrated COVID-19 pandemic? FALSE

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Social media users have claimed an email with the subject line “Preparing for pandemics” is evidence that Epstein planned the COVID-19 pandemic. The email was forwarded to Epstein in 2015 and an attachment on the email indicates it was related to a meeting in Geneva about pandemics.

Users claiming that Epstein orchestrated the pandemic pointed to Epstein’s ties to Bill Gates, who has been the subject of conspiracy theories related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Gates Foundation — which works to reduce disease and poverty around the world — has been one of the World Health Organization’s primary donors to and also funded BioNTech, which helped develop the first COVID-19 vaccine.

There is no evidence Epstein had prior knowledge of the COVID-19 pandemic. Global discussions about pandemic preparedness are not abnormal and are not exclusively related to COVID-19.

We’ve even found posts alleging that Jeffrey Epstein’s DNA was somehow in the COVID shots. But there’s no evidence of that.

Social media users have purported that Epstein conspired with people who developed COVID vaccinations to utilize it as a “delivery system with some of his own DNA”.

Some users who posted about the rumor later said they did not say it as fact.

Maxwell tied to 9/11 attacks? FALSE

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Users are sharing emails sent to Maxwell days after Sept. 11, 2001, as evidence that she had ties to the attacks.

One email sent on Sept. 18, 2001, asks, “Where is the real pilot?” without further context. A separate document released by the DOJ shows additional emails sent on the same chain, which discusses Maxwell landing in Santa Monica, California, on a helicopter.

A second email from the author Edward Jay Epstein, dated January 2003, invites Maxwell to the “Shadow Commission on 9/11”, which she declines. An August 2001 archive for the website “http://vvww.edwardjayepstein.com/pieces.htm” linked in the email shows what appears to be a portfolio website for Edward Epstein. A February 2003 archive, which is the closest version available from the date the email was sent, shows a list of priorities for the “Shadow Commission on 9-11-2001” to investigate issues including government and security failures.

Edward Epstein, who died in 2024, was an investigative journalist and author known for his research on similarly high-profile topics like John F. Kennedy’s assassination, which is referenced in the “Who killed JFK?” tab on his website. He also had contacts with Jeffrey Epstein over the years. The New York Times reports they were not related.

Epstein accessed millions of school photos? FALSE

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After the latest batch of Epstein files was released by the DOJ, creators started pointing to Epstein’s relationship with billionaire investor Leon Black to fuel rumors that Lifetouch — a company that takes millions of kids’ school photos — used those school photos as a “shopping catalog” for pedophiles. Some school districts actually started canceling picture day because of it.

Leon Black is the former CEO of Apollo Global Management, which acquired Lifetouch’s parent company Shutterfly in 2019.

Lifetouch Group CEO Ken Murphy issued a statement saying that the images of school photos Lifetouch takes are “safeguarded for families and schools, only, with no exceptions. Lifetouch does not — and has never provided — images to any third party.”

Furthermore, Murphy said that neither Apollo Global Management nor its funds are involved in operations at Lifetouch, and no one employed by Apollo has had access to any images.

Epstein got Kuru disease from cannibalism? FALSE

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Another outlandish theory circulating on social media is the claim that Epstein was a cannibal and that videos in the files prove he got Kuru disease because of it.

The main piece of evidence people highlight to support this theory are two videos in which you can see that parts of Epstein’s face are swollen.

While these videos of Epstein are real files released by the DOJ, there is no evidence to support the conclusion that his physical symptoms here are a result of Kuru disease.

Kuru disease is fatally transmitted through ritualistic cannibalism, with death occurring within one to two years of the onset of symptoms, according to the NIH.

Users have shared an email excerpt where Epstein says, “not food —people.” A separate document shows the complete context of the email chain where Epstein was speaking figuratively, referring to the difficult people he had to deal with.

Lastly, this claim has been repeated in multiple TikTok videos that include AI-generated audio and follow the same script — in some cases, stealing the likenesses and voices of actual creators to repeat it. When you see videos with the exact same script word-for-word, that could either mean that one creator is simply ripping off another. Or it can be a sign of AI.

Either way, there’s simply no evidence to suggest that there’s any truth to this theory.

“They ate humans” video tied to Epstein? FALSE

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An old video of a woman shouting in Spanish has been circulating online alongside claims that it shows a Mexican model who supposedly fled one of Epstein’s parties, screaming that Epstein and his guests were eating people.

The footage is actually from an incident that happened in Monterrey, Mexico, in August 2009, according to coverage by Spanish news outlet Info7. The video shows a woman, identified as Gabriela Rico Jimenez, shouting outside a hotel: “They ate humans.” Info7 posted a Facebook video on Feb. 6 revisiting their past coverage of the woman.

While the incident did happen outside a hotel in Monterrey, the woman does not mention Epstein’s name in the footage and there’s no evidence the video is related to Epstein.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday designated Iran as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention, calling for Americans currently in Iran to “leave immediately.”

“When the Iranian regime seized power 47 years ago, Ayatollah Khomeini consolidated his control of power by endorsing the hostage taking of U.S. embassy staff,” Rubio wrote in a news statement. “For decades, Iran has continued to cruelly detain innocent Americans, as well as citizens of other nations, to use as political leverage against other states. This abhorrent practice must end.”

“[President [Donald] Trump] issued an Executive Order to Protect U.S. Nationals from Wrongful Detention Abroad last fall and Congress subsequently enacted the Countering Wrongful Detention Act of 2025, authorizing the Department to designate Iran as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention,” he added.

Rubio said if Iran does not stop, the U.S. will be forced to consider “additional measures,” including a potential geographic travel restriction on the use of U.S. passports [to, through, or from Iran].

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Friday, asked for Americans currently in Iran “to leave immediately.”(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

“The Iranian regime must stop taking hostages and release all Americans unjustly detained in Iran, steps that could end this designation and associated actions. We encourage it to do so,” Rubio wrote. “No American should travel to Iran for any reason. We reiterate our call for Americans who are currently in Iran to leave immediately.”

Rubio’s comments came amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran as they take part in indirect nuclear negotiations.

Trump last week [gave Iran]roughly 10 to 15 days to reach an agreement, warning during his State of the Union address that the urgency to make a deal was backed by force.

[TRUMP SAYS IRAN ‘SERIOUSLY TALKING TO US’ AS MILITARY SHIPS HEAD TO MIDDLE EAST]

A police officer stands guard as demonstrators wave flags and cheer during a gathering to honor Iran’s military forces, following the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, on June 24, 2025 in Tehran, Iran.(Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)

Trump told reporters on Friday that he is “not happy” with the way Iran is negotiating, but said he has not yet made a final decision on [potential military strikes].

Eleven [U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor] stealth fighters recently arrived at Israel’s Ovda Air Base in the country’s south, Fox News reported, marking the first-ever operational deployment of American combat aircraft to Israel.

When asked how close a decision may be, Trump told a reporter, “I’d rather not tell you, you would have the greatest scoop in history, right?”

[CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP]

The president noted that there is “always a risk” of long-term conflict in the [Middle East].

“I guess you could say there’s always a risk,” Trump said. “You know, when there’s war, there’s a risk in anything both good and bad.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Fox News’ Efrat Lachter, Peter Doocy and Morgan Phillips, along with Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.

阿曼外长：伊朗同意不储存浓缩铀

2026年2月28日 07:54 / 联合早报

2月6日，阿曼外长巴德尔（右）在阿曼首都马斯喀特，与到访的伊朗外长阿拉格齐（左）会面。 （路透社）

担任伊朗核谈判协调方的阿曼外交部长巴德尔说，伊朗已同意不拥有“可制造核弹的核材料”。他相信所有问题可以在三个月内“友好且全面地”得到解决。

法新社报道，巴德尔星期五（2月27日）在华盛顿接受美国哥伦比亚广播公司（CBS）的访问时说，伊朗在与美国的谈判中同意不储存浓缩铀，他称这是一项“突破”。

巴德尔说：“如果最终目标是确保伊朗永远无法拥有核武器，我认为我们通过这些谈判已经解决这个问题，我们达成了一项前所未有的重大突破。”

他说：“这是一个全新的局面。关于浓缩铀的争论变得不那么重要了，因为现在我们讨论的是（浓缩铀）零储备。”

巴德尔称伊朗将无法储存浓缩铀，而且会接受核查。伊朗还将把目前的浓缩铀库存削减到“尽可能低的水平”，以便把它转化为燃料，而这种燃料转化是不可逆的。

美国总统特朗普当天向媒体表示“不满意”伊朗核谈判进展，他还说“有时候不得不动用武力”。但特朗普过后又在社媒贴文称，他“宁愿以和平方式解决问题”。

Kamala Harris is backing Jasmine Crockett in Texas’ Senate Democratic primary

2 min read | By Arlette Saenz | Updated Feb 27, 2026, 4:04 PM ET | PUBLISHED Feb 27, 2026, 3:56 PM ET

Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, on September 29, 2025.

Mario Tama/Getty Images

Former Vice President Kamala Harris recorded a robocall encouraging voters to support Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic primary for Senate in Texas, a source familiar with the matter said.

“This is Kamala Harris, and I’m calling to encourage you to please go vote for my friend Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic primary today, Friday, February 27, or on Election Day, Tuesday, March 3,” Harris said in one of the calls shared with CNN.

“Texas has the chance to send a fighter like Jasmine Crockett to the United States Senate. Jasmine has the experience and record to hold Donald Trump and his billionaire cronies accountable,” she added. “It’s time to turn Texas blue.”

The former vice president taped a similar robocall to be released on Tuesday.

Harris’ decision to wade into the Democratic primary comes as Crockett is engaged in an increasingly heated and contentious race against state Rep. James Talarico.

The Texas Tribune was first to report on Harris’ robocalls in support of Crockett.

Crockett, who was a co-chair of Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign, is a friend and longtime mentee of Harris. The congresswoman spoke at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in support of Harris, and sought advice from the former vice president before launching her Senate campaign in December, a source familiar with the matter said.

Harris’ team spoke with the congresswoman’s campaign about how the former vice president could be helpful in the final stretch of the campaign, the source said.

Harris has not weighed in on many Democratic contests, but when she has, it has been for candidates with whom she shares personal connections.

Harris backed New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno in her campaign in 2025. Moreno served as a co-chair of Harris’ first presidential campaign in 2019. Harris has also endorsed Dan Koh, a White House aide during her time as vice president, in his run for Congress in Massachusetts’ 6th Congressional District.

At the DNC in 2024, Crockett spoke of how Harris counseled her when she arrived in Congress, saying “When I first got to Congress, I wasn’t sure I made the right decision.”

“She saw right through me. She saw the distress. I immediately began crying,” Crockett said. “And the most powerful woman in the world wiped my tears and listened. She then said, among other things, ‘You are exactly where God wants you.’”

Harris wrote about Crockett in her memoir, saying she was among the “younger talents” in the party she wanted to help.

US charges 30 more in anti-ICE protest at Minnesota church

February 27, 2026 6:43 PM UTC / Reuters

Feb 27 (Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department on Friday charged 30 more people accused of disrupting a Minnesota church service last month in protest of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operation.

The indictment vastly increases the scope of a criminal case that already included former CNN anchor Don Lemon, one of nine people initially charged. All 39 defendants are charged with conspiracy against the right of religious worship and violating a law that forbids obstructing access to houses of worship.

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“At my direction, federal agents have already arrested 25 of them, with more to come throughout the day,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said on social media. “YOU CANNOT ATTACK A HOUSE OF WORSHIP. If you do so, you cannot hide from us — we will find you, arrest you, and prosecute you.”

Lemon and several others previously charged have pleaded not guilty. Lemon, now an independent journalist who livestreamed the demonstration, has argued the charges violate his free press rights under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Lemon and other defendants have argued they are being targeted for opposing the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

The January 18 protest at Cities Church in St. Paul drew widespread attention as the Trump administration deployed large numbers of federal agents to the region in an immigration crackdown that spurred protests and led to the killing of two U.S. citizens by immigration agents.

Protest organizers have said they picked the church because they believed a senior pastor there was an official with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The Justice Department has moved aggressively to charge people involved with the demonstration, even after a federal judge initially declined to sign off on the arrests of several defendants. The indictment accuses the demonstrators of organizing a “coordinated takeover-style attack” on the church.

Video footage showed demonstrators interrupting the service by shouting anti-ICE slogans and confronting some congregants, prompting many to flee.

Reporting by Andrew Goudsward and Bhargav Acharya, Writing by Andrew Goudsward and Christian Martinez; Editing by Rod Nickel

Susie Wiles’ lawyer denies approving FBI recording, says he’d lose license over ‘stunt’

Published February 27, 2026 11:16am EST

White House chief of staff Susie Wiles’ attorney in 2023 is disputing claims that he agreed to let the Biden-era FBI record a call with his client without her knowledge, according to a report.

“If I ever pulled a stunt like that I wouldn’t – and shouldn’t – have a license to practice law,” the unidentified attorney said, according to Axios. “I’m as shocked as Susie.”

The denial comes as scrutiny intensifies around the FBI’s use of subpoenas and investigative tools during special counsel Jack Smith’s Trump-related probes ahead of President Donald Trump’s 2024 re-election.

Reuters first disclosed the subpoenas Wednesday, reporting that the Biden FBI subpoenaed Wiles’ and now-FBI Director Kash Patel’s phone records in 2022 and 2023, when both were private citizens. Smith was investigating claims Trump worked to overturn the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago, Florida, resort.

At least 10 FBI employees were fired Wednesday over the matter, Fox News Digital previously learned.

Amid the revelations, two FBI officials said that FBI agents recorded a phone call between Wiles and her attorney in 2023. Wiles’ attorney was aware the call was being recorded and consented, but Wiles was not informed, the officials claimed.

The lawyer, whose name has not been publicly released, pushed back that he “categorically denies he allowed his client to be recorded by the FBI,” according to Axios reporter Marc Caputo.

Wiles reportedly “believes him & that the Biden-era FBI may have lied about it,” Caputo wrote on X.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and Wiles for comment, but did not immediately receive replies. Fox News Digital also reached out to the FBI for comment Friday morning.

The report sparked conservatives and Trump allies to back the unidentified lawyer and balk at the case overall.

“I know the long time lawyer ….and I believe him – This is a violation of basic constitutional rights every American by right – has. We need accountability and we need action,” Trump 2024 co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita posted to X.

“So the lawyer Biden’s FBI eavesdropped on during a call with Susie Wiles said he had no idea it happened,” OutKick founder Clay Travis posted to X. “This is a huge story. Biden’s FBI spied on Trump’s campaign manager in the 2024 campaign.”

Wiles was reportedly stunned by the news of the subpoenas, with Axios reporting that she told associates Thursday, “I am in shock.”

Patel issued a similar statement on Wednesday.

“It is outrageous and deeply alarming that the previous FBI leadership secretly subpoenaed my own phone records — along with those of now White House chief of staff Susie Wiles — using flimsy pretexts and burying the entire process in prohibited case files designed to evade all oversight,” he said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital.

Trump’s Fed chief nominee faces hurdles as clock ticks on Powell’s term

February 27, 2026 5:41 PM UTC / Reuters

By Ann Saphir

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Former U.S. Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh speaks during a monetary policy conference at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution in Palo Alto, California, U.S. May 9, 2025. REUTERS/Ann Saphir/File Photo

• Summary

• US Senate will decide whether to confirm Warsh as next Fed chief
• Powell’s term as head of US central bank ends on May 15
• Department of Justice investigation into Powell complicates Warsh nomination
• Trump wants a Fed chief who will deliver big interest rate cuts

Feb 27 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump has yet to formally nominate Kevin Warsh to succeed Jerome Powell as head of the Federal Reserve, a delay that while not unprecedented is also not typical and adds to uncertainty in a process clouded by concerns about political pressure on the U.S. central bank.

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A bar chart showing the number of days between nomination announcement and official nomination to the senate of the Fed’s governors since 2010.

Trump named Warsh, a former Fed governor, as his nominee four weeks ago. Since 2010 only two nominees for the Fed chief job and other seats on the central bank’s Board of Governors have experienced a gap longer than four weeks between the White House announcement and the filing of paperwork to the Senate that kicks off the official confirmation process.

The reason for the extended wait in Warsh’s case is unclear, though Republican Senator Thom Tillis has promised to block any Fed nomination as long as a Department of Justice investigation into Powell regarding his testimony to Congress about central bank building renovations in Washington remains open.

Tillis says the probe is frivolous and a form of intimidation by the Trump administration, which has made no secret of its frustration with Powell for not cutting interest rates as quickly or deeply as it would like.

“It does strike me as odd that there’s been no forward movement on the Warsh nomination,” said Derek Tang, an analyst with forecasting firm LH Meyer. “The White House seems no closer to overcoming the Tillis block: that the senator won’t let any nominee for the Fed get past the Senate Banking Committee unless and until the Powell probe goes away.”

“The White House continues to work with the Senate to swiftly confirm Kevin Warsh as our next Federal Reserve chairman,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said, adding that Warsh is “eminently qualified to restore competence and confidence in Fed decision-making.”

The Fed’s insulation from short-term political considerations and the ability to set interest rates without regard to the preferences of a given president is widely considered essential to its ability to keep inflation under control and steer the economy to a healthy footing.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said the Republican-controlled Senate Banking Committee has agreed to move forward with a confirmation hearing once Warsh is formally nominated. The panel’s Republican members, including Tillis, have said they see Warsh as well qualified and a good pick for the job.

But without Tillis’ vote to advance Warsh’s nomination to consideration by the full Senate, the committee’s slim Republican majority does not have the power to override unified Democratic opposition.

Warsh and Fed spokespersons declined to comment.

THE POWELL PROBE

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Powell disclosed the DOJ’s probe in January, describing it as part of the Trump administration’s “threats and ongoing pressure” on the Fed to cut rates.

The central bank has asked a judge to quash the government’s subpoenas in the probe, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. The Fed declined to comment on the report.

The probe is not the only hurdle to Trump’s long-held goal of installing a rate-cut-friendly Fed chief in place of Powell.

TICKING CLOCK

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The 11 weeks until the end of Powell’s term on May 15 is less time than it took for most of the Fed’s current governors to go from their nominations to Senate confirmation.

The timing is by no means overly tight, as the Senate showed last fall when it moved to confirm then-Trump economic adviser Stephen Miran as a Fed governor less than two weeks after the president nominated him.

But a long delay on the Warsh confirmation would leave the nominee – and the central bank – in uncomfortable limbo as the clock ticks toward the central bank’s June 16-17 meeting, the earliest expected time for a serious debate on, if not delivery of, a rate cut.

MUSICAL CHAIRS AT THE FED?

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Trump is expected to nominate Warsh to fill a seat currently occupied by Miran, whose term expired on January 31 but who may remain in his role until his successor is confirmed by the Senate. The switch would replace one rate-cut advocate with another, leaving Trump-appointees one seat short of a majority on the seven-member Fed board.

The president has made an unprecedented effort to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook for what he says were misrepresentations on her mortgage applications. Cook, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, denies wrongdoing and is fighting her removal in a case that is before the Supreme Court. Powell attended oral arguments in January, calling it “the most important ⁠legal case in the Fed’s ‍113-year history” because of its implications for the central bank’s independence.

COULD POWELL STAY PUT?

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Powell could, if he chooses, stay on as a Fed governor at least until January 31, 2028. He has declined to say if he will leave the board when his term as head of the central bank ends, as nearly all his predecessors have done.

Bucking that precedent would be an extraordinary move that would signal Powell’s abiding concern about the Fed’s ability to continue to operate independently from the administration.

Reasons for such concern range from the fact that Trump made support for rate cuts an explicit condition for anyone he nominated to replace Powell, and the unprecedented means by which the president’s administration has sought to pressure central bank leaders, including through the DOJ probe.

But staying on would almost certainly draw criticism from the Trump administration and others as a partisan bid to thwart the president’s prerogative to name a new Fed governor.

LEADERSHIP QUESTIONS

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Even if Powell did remain as a governor, there’s little doubt that the central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee would stick with institutional norms and elect Warsh to lead the policy-setting panel.

But it would leave Warsh, who already faces the daunting task of convincing a divided committee to support the rate cuts he says he wants – contending with the complications of sharing the policymaking table with the person who used to have his job.

Reporting by Ann Saphir; Additional reporting by David Morgan and Andrea Shalal; Editing by Anna Driver and Paul Simao

Flashback: Clinton deposed in Epstein case nearly 29 years to the day after ‘blue dress’ scandal

Former president’s February 27 sit-down comes exactly 29 years after alleged Monica Lewinsky encounter that led to impeachment

By Charles Creitz
Fox News

Published February 27, 2026 12:24pm EST

Former President Bill Clinton is sitting Friday for a deposition over the Epstein scandal nearly 29 years to the date of an infamous encounter with an intern that sparked a famous public denial.

On February 28, 1997 — 29 years from Saturday — Clinton allegedly had his “blue dress” encounter with then-intern Monica Lewinsky at the White House.

The official report from independent counsel Kenneth Starr to Congress lists the date in its section laying out “Physical Evidence.”

“Physical evidence conclusively establishes that the president and Ms. Lewinsky had a sexual relationship,” the referral from Starr to the House of Representatives reads.

“After reaching an immunity and cooperation agreement with the Office of the Independent Counsel on July 28, 1998, Ms. Lewinsky turned over a navy blue dress that she said she had worn during a sexual encounter with the President on February 28, 1997.”

Starr’s report went on to say that when Lewinsky next pulled the blue dress from her closet she “surmised that the stains” then appearing on it “were the president’s semen.”

That discovery led Starr’s office to request a blood sample from Clinton, which he provided to a physician in the White House Map Room on August 3, 1998, in the presence of an FBI agent and one of Starr’s attorneys.

Two subsequent tests concluded the president’s DNA was found on the dress and that “genetic markers” on the semen were characteristic of 1 out of 7.87 trillion Caucasian males.

BILL AND HILLARY CLINTON FACED ‘SURPRISE’ FROM DEMOCRATS CALLING FOR EPSTEIN TESTIMONY, SAYS REP COMER

When Clinton was deposed in the Paula Jones matter, he was asked whether he had sexual contact with Lewinsky, which he denied. The February 28 encounter, however, was later used by Starr to argue that Clinton had lied under oath.

Clinton publicly denied the affair at the end of an unrelated January 26, 1998, press conference:

“I want to say one thing to the American people: I’m going to say this again. I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky,” Clinton said.

“I never told anybody to lie. Not a single time. Never. These allegations are false, and I need to go back to work for the American people.”

Clinton was later impeached by the House, but the Senate voted against removing him from office.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: CLINTONS CALL FOR OPEN EPSTEIN FILES HEARING AFTER MONTHS OF DEFYING SUBPOENAS

A painting depicting Clinton wearing Lewinsky’s blue dress and sitting in a provocative pose was recorded on page EFTA00000862 of the Justice Department’s Epstein Files cache.

The painting was originally reported in 2019 to have been photographed inside Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse. It was not commissioned by Clinton and is not a White House image. Clinton himself also denied knowledge of the unique work.

Also on February 28 — this time in 1989 — federal authorities effectively shut down the financial firm that ultimately led to the Whitewater investigation. On February 28, 1989, federal authorities placed Madison Guaranty Savings & Loan, owned by Clinton ally Jim McDougal, into conservatorship. The entity became the genesis of Kenneth Starr’s Whitewater investigation, which later expanded to include the Lewinsky matter. While scrutinizing Bill and Hillary Clinton’s connection to the real estate dealings beginning in 1994 — for which they were both exonerated — Starr ultimately uncovered a presidential affair with an intern and the public deceit that followed.

What resulted in Clinton’s 1998 impeachment began more than a decade earlier, as Starr examined real estate transactions in a resort community project called Whitewater Estates in the Ozarks that involved a company formed by the future first couple and their politically-connected friends Jim and Susan McDougal.

The Clintons and McDougals wanted to sell lots for vacation homes, but in 1979, interest rates rose to nearly 20%, leaving potential buyers wary, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.

Jim McDougal eventually took control of a rural bank later renamed Madison Guaranty Savings & Loan.

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Starr ultimately investigated whether loans from Madison were improperly connected to Whitewater, and whether or what political influence benefitted McDougals financial dealings.

The Clintons were both investigated but never charged in connection with the bank or Whitewater, but the McDougals were, along with Clinton’s gubernatorial successor, Gov. Jim Guy Tucker.

The Clinton Foundation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.

He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.

Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.