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President Donald Trump spoke for nearly 2 hours on Tuesday night

By Elizabeth Elkind
Fox News

Published February 25, 2026 3:13pm EST

Texas Democrat Congressman Al Green was forcefully removed from the House chamber for a second year running, this time as President Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address.

President Donald Trump addressed Congress and the nation for nearly two hours on Tuesday night, touting his administration’s victories and highlighting Americans from all walks of life.

But the speech was also littered with Democrat-led protests that were even hard to ignore for the president himself.

Several left-wing lawmakers attempted to interrupt Trump’s speech, whether by interjecting or holding up signs in opposition to his words.

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Rep. Al Green protests as President Donald Trump arrives to deliver the State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress at the Capitol on Feb. 24, 2026.(Kenny Holston/Getty Images)

Rep. Al Green’s protest sign

Longtime progressive Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, was the first notable protester of the night even before Trump began speaking.

As Trump walked through the House chamber to take his place, Green held up a sign that read in all capital letters, “Black people are not apes!” It appeared to be a reference to a video shared by Trump on Truth Social that depicted the Obamas as apes, a racist trope.

He continued to stand holding the sign even after Trump began speaking, prompting Capitol security to escort him out of the House chamber as Republicans chanted “USA” in response.

[video_1]

Democrats yell over insider trading

One of the rare points of bipartisanship during Trump’s speech came when he called on Congress to ban insider trading for its lawmakers.

The applause on both sides of the aisle even prompted Trump to say, “They stood up for that, I can’t believe it.”

Then his jab at former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., referencing her and her husband’s own successful stock trading, prompted a significant number of those Democrats clapping to stop.

Fox News Digital spotted at least one Democrat, Rep. Mark Takano of California, shouting back at Trump, accusing him of insider trading and profiting off the presidency.

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Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib shout at President Donald Trump as he delivers his State of the Union address on Feb. 24, 2026.(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Ilhan Omar’s outburst over Minnesota fraud

Progressive “Squad” member Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., interrupted Trump multiple times during his speech, prompting the president to target her and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., in a Truth Social post on Wednesday, calling them “mentally deranged and sick.”

One of her first interruptions came when Trump rehashed accusations of widespread fraud within Minnesota’s social programs, primarily targeting the Somali community in Minneapolis in his remarks.

“You’re a liar,” Omar shouted.

She continued to loudly accuse him of lying multiple times as Trump accused “Somali pirates” of having “ransacked Minnesota.”

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Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib clash with Trump on DHS

Omar’s second big outburst came when she and Tlaib repeatedly accused Trump of having “killed Americans” when he discussed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the current fiscal standoff between Democrats and Republicans.

“You’re a murderer,” Omar shouted at one point.

Tlaib yelled, “Alex wasn’t a criminal” in apparent reference to Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents during a demonstration in Minneapolis.

[video_3]

Trump addressed lawmakers: “One of the great things about the State of the Union is how it gives Americans the chance to see clearly what their representatives really believe. So tonight, I’m inviting every legislator to join with my administration and reaffirming a fundamental principle. If you agree with this statement, then stand up and show your support: The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.”

A majority of Democrats, including the progressive pair, did not stand, prompting Trump to say, “You should be ashamed of yourself.”

[video_4]

Rashida Tlaib and the Epstein files

Tlaib also shouted, “Release the Epstein files,” multiple times in relation to the federal government’s documents on late financier and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

“These people are crazy,” Trump said at one point as Tlaib shouted.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com

The State of Florida launched a full investigation into an announcement from the Cuban government that it killed several people aboard a U.S.-flagged speedboat operating close to the Communist island’s north shore on Tuesday.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., first said the Cuban Interior Ministry reported confronting a speedboat with a Florida license number and claimed the occupants opened fire first.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier told Fox News Digital that his office is now looking into the situation, adding that Havana is not an honest neighbor.

“I’ve directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to work with our federal, state, and law enforcement partners to begin an investigation,” Uthmeier said in a statement.

“The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable.”

The Cuban government claimed that on Tuesday morning, a “violating speedboat” had been detected within one nautical-mile of Falcon Key’s El Pino channel, near Villa Clara.

The area also lies a relatively short distance due south of the Florida Keys resort town of Marathon.

The Cubans claimed that when five Border Guardsmen approached to make the Americans identify themselves, the speedboat’s crew fired shots.

“As a consequence of the confrontation, as of the time of this report, four aggressors on the foreign vessel were killed and six were injured. The injured individuals were evacuated and received medical assistance,” the Cuban government claimed.

“[N]ational defense is a fundamental pillar of the Cuban State in safeguarding its sovereignty and ensuring stability in the region.”

When reached for comment, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security official directed Fox News Digital to the State Department.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was already in the Caribbean region on Tuesday, visiting with officials in Basseterre, St. Kitts.

Gimenez, the only Cuban-born member of Congress and a vocal critic of that country’s current dictatorship, told Fox News Digital that the Diaz-Canel regime “must be relegated to the dustbin of history for its countless crimes against humanity.”

Gimenez said he has asked his fellow Miamian, Rubio, for more details and called for the firefight to receive the full federal attention it deserves.

The press pool traveling with Rubio has inquired about the situation.

Rep. Byron Donalds, the Naples Republican seeking to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis this year, told Fox News Digital there “should be a full investigation into this troubling matter – The bottom line is that the Communist Cuban regime must go.”

Donalds separately said the Castro and Diaz-Canel regime has, “destroyed the liberty of the Cuban people for two generations; going on a third. They needed to go long ago.”

Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., who represents heavily Cuban American parts of Miami like Calle Ocho, said in a statement she is also “following very closely the reports that Cuban regime forces opened fire on a speedboat registered in Florida.”

“This is a developing situation and I am awaiting official information from the U.S. authorities,” Salazar said, adding that four people are reportedly dead and six wounded.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., demanded a “full investigation into this deeply concerning situation and to determine what happened.”

“The Communist Cuban regime must be held accountable.”

The news came as the Treasury Department signaled Wednesday that it would allow oil companies to apply for licenses to resell Venezuelan oil to Cuba amid the ongoing crisis on the island, according to Reuters.

Fox News Digital reached out to the DeSantis administration and the White House for further comment.

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.

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British far-right activist Tommy Robinson visits US State Department

February 25, 2026 10:42 PM UTC / Reuters

WASHINGTON, Feb 25 (Reuters) – British anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson visited the U.S. State Department on Wednesday and met with at least one U.S. official, social media posts from Robinson and a department official showed.

“In America making alliances & friendships, today I had the privilege of an invite to the @StateDept,” Robinson, 42, said in an X post.

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Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has become a flag-bearer for some British nationalists and one of Britain’s most high-profile anti-migration campaigners, organizing a large rally last September in London attended by about 150,000 people.

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The visit of the far-right activist appears to be the latest example of the Trump administration’s promotion of “free speech” in Europe, the UK and other places where it says politicians have stifled conservative voices online.

State Department official Joe Rittenhouse, who is a senior adviser for the department’s Consular Affairs bureau, met with Robinson, calling him a “free speech warrior.”

“Honored to have free speech warrior @TRobinsonNewEra at Department of State today. The World and the West is a better place when we fight for freedom of speech and no one has been on the front lines more than Tommy. Good to see you my friend!” Rittenhouse said in an X post.

The State Department did not provide answers to Reuters questions on who else Robinson met with, what was discussed and what was the objective of his visit.

A representative for the British embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In the photographs that Rittenhouse posted on X, Robinson can be seen examining the objects in the Department’s John Quincy Adams State Drawing Room, one of the department’s diplomatic reception rooms, which features collections and masterpieces from the federal era.

US CRITICISM OF UK RESTRICTIONS ON SPEECH

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The Trump administration has been critical of the United Kingdom over free speech issues.

In the State Department’s 2024 human rights report, which was a narrower and re-purposed version of the annual publication following amendments by Trump officials, Washington criticized the UK saying the human rights situation in the country worsened.

It said there were credible reports of “serious restrictions on freedom of expression, including enforcement of or threat of criminal or civil laws in order to limit expression; and crimes, violence, or threats of violence motivated by antisemitism.”

U.S. officials have also engaged with far-right parties in Europe they see as targeted by online rules, arguing legitimate anti-immigration views are censored in the name of preventing hate speech.

They have also denounced European Union policies that they say are suppressing right-wing politicians, including in Romania, Germany and France, and have claimed rules like the EU’s Digital Services Act and Britain’s Online Safety Act limit free speech.

Robinson is the founder of the English Defence League, or EDL, which in the past has staged violent demonstrations against Islam.

He was jailed by British authorities in 2013 for using a passport in someone else’s name to travel to the United States from Britain.

Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Additional reporting by Simon Lewis; Editing by Don Durfee and Lincoln Feast.

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Ken Paxton believes he’ll crush ‘Fake John Cornyn’ even without a Trump endorsement

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton faces off against longtime Sen. John Cornyn in crowded Texas primary, with early voting underway

By Alex Miller, Elizabeth Elkind
Fox News

Published February 25, 2026 3:57pm EST

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told Fox News Digital he’s “perfectly fine” without President Trump’s endorsement and said it’s time to replace Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he can win the Republican Senate primary even without President Donald Trump’s endorsement.

“He makes his own decisions,” Paxton told Fox News Digital. “I’m perfectly fine right now. We’re going to win this election either way. And I’m happy with where we’re at, and you’re going to see next Tuesday that we’re going to come out in front.”

Paxton, who was invited by Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, to attend Trump’s State of the Union address, is one of seven challengers vying to unseat longtime Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who is running for a fifth term in the upper chamber.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton believed he could win out against Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, in the crowded Texas GOP Senate primary race, even without President Donald Trump’s endorsement.(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images and Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Early voting has already begun in the Lone Star State, and primary election day is March 3.

Even without a coveted nod from the president, Paxton acknowledged that cutting through the densely packed field would be difficult without the race going to a runoff, but not impossible.

“It’s hard to win outright, but you know anything’s possible,” Paxton said. “If anybody’s going to do it, it is going to be me.”

Much of the attention has been paid to the three-way fight between Paxton, Cornyn and Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas — a brawl that Trump has chosen to keep at arm’s length. He told reporters last week that he supports all three.

TEXAS EARLY VOTING BEGINS AHEAD OF CONTENTIOUS MARCH 3 PRIMARY ELECTIONS

President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address in the House chamber of the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 24, 2026, in Washington, D.C.(Nathan Howard/Reuters)

Cornyn is Paxton’s primary target in the crowded field. The two have engaged in a mudslinging back-and-forth on the road and in ads, dumping millions into toppling one another.

When asked about Cornyn’s attacks against him, Paxton said, “He’s not a polite man.”

Paxton accused the lawmaker of being ineffective during his 24-year run in the Senate and dubbed him “Fake John Cornyn,” accusing him of selling voters one thing on the trail and doing another in office.

SHARIA LAW VICTIM WHO FLED SOMALIA ISSUES ENDORSEMENT IN CRITICAL SENATE RACE

Ken Paxton, Texas attorney general, during the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, July 16, 2024.(Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“He’s been in office since I was in college, and I’m 63,” Paxton said. “And he’s been up here for 24 years. And I don’t care what he says. He’s a deceptive guy, a misleading guy. You know why? Because he doesn’t have a single thing to run on.”

Cornyn wondered if Paxton had “been sleeping under a rock somewhere” when asked about his opponent’s challenges to his record.

“My Senate office is generally recognized as the most effective office in the Senate, and that’s because we produced important legislation to the state, for the state and for the nation,” Cornyn told Fox News Digital. “And the fact he’s unaware of it just does not speak well to his intelligence or his knowledge.”

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Despite Paxton’s confidence that the race would be decided next week, Cornyn believed there would be a runoff between the two.

“We’ll be rid of him after May 26,” Cornyn said.

Related Article

Rebel GOP Senate candidate enters lion’s den for Trump’s State of the Union

Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.

NASA hauls moon rocket off launch pad to fix another launch-delaying malfunction

February 25, 2026 / 3:56 PM EST / CBS News

NASA hauled its Artemis II moon rocket off its seaside pad Wednesday for a slow trip back to a processing facility to track down and fix a helium pressurization problem that delayed launch of four astronauts on a flight around the moon from this month to at least April 1.

A 6.6-million-pound Apollo-era crawler-transporter rolled up the ramp to pad 38B on Tuesday and was positioned directly under the 3.5-million-pound Space Launch System rocket and its 11.3-million-pound mobile launch platform.

The Artemis II Space Launch System rocket and its mobile launch platform were hauled off pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center early Wednesday for a slow trip back to NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building for work to repair a helium pressurization problem with the rocket’s upper stage. The rollback has delayed the launch of four astronauts on a flight around the moon to at least April 1. NASA

After a check of the weather to make sure winds would be within safety limits, engineers used the crawler’s hydraulic system to lift the SLS rocket and its launch platform off its support pedestals and then began inching back toward the Kennedy Space Center’s cavernous Vehicle Assembly Building at 9:38 a.m. EST.

The 4-mile trip of the crawler and its towering load, tipping the scales at a combined 23.6 million pounds, was expected to take 10 to 12 hours to complete, with several stops and starts expected along the way.

Once inside the VAB, engineers plan to deploy service platforms to gain access to the rocket’s upper stage, known as the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage, or ICPS.

Following a successful fueling test last week, engineers were unable to repressurize the upper stage’s helium system.

Pressurized helium is used in push propellants to the ICPS engine, to dry out and drain tanks and propellant lines and to “purge” other cavities with the inert gas to minimize the risk of fire. During two fueling tests of the Artemis II SLS rocket, the system worked normally. The problem was found after the second “wet dress” rehearsal countdown was over.

A similar problem cropped up with the Artemis I mission in 2022 when a helium valve failed to operate properly. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the valve could be the culprit this time around, “though corrective actions were taken to minimize reoccurrence on Artemis II.”

Other possible causes include trouble with a filter in an umbilical connected to the ICPS or problems with a quick-disconnect fitting.

The rollback to the VAB was ordered because engineers did not have access to the ICPS and its gantry connections at the launch pad. In the assembly building, multiple platforms can be deployed around the SLS to provide access to virtually the entire 322-foot-tall vehicle.

Along with repairing the helium pressurization system, engineers also plan to replace limited-life batteries in the SLS’s self-destruct system and to replace other batteries in the ICPS.

NASA rolled the Artemis II rocket to the launch pad in mid January, originally targeting a launch of Commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen around Feb. 6.

But during the initial wet dress countdown needed to clear the way for launch, hydrogen leaks were detected, requiring replacement of suspect seals in an umbilical where fuel lines are attached to the base of the rocket. The replacement seals worked normally during a second fueling test last week, and no problems were found.

NASA then tentatively targeted launch for March 6, only to discover the helium pressurization problem, which has pushed the launch out of the March window to no earlier than April 1.

Only a handful of launch opportunities are available each month due to trajectory constraints based on the ever changing positions of the Earth and moon, lighting conditions and other mission-specific variables.

FBI subpoenaed Kash Patel, Susie Wiles phone records in Trump probe | Fox News

Special counsel Jack Smith obtained the records during federal probe into 2020 election and classified documents

By Emma Bussey, David Spunt
Fox News

Published February 25, 2026 5:24pm EST | Updated February 25, 2026 6:46pm EST

The FBI subpoenaed Kash Patel and Susie Wiles’ phone records in 2022 and 2023, when both were private citizens, as part of a federal probe into then former President Donald Trump, Fox News has confirmed.

Patel is the current FBI director, and Wiles is White House chief of staff.

At least 10 FBI employees were fired Wednesday, Fox News has been told. Names were not given due to privacy reasons.

Reuters first disclosed the subpoenas, which were issued during the Biden administration, while special counsel Jack Smith was investigating Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.

FBI Director Kash Patel and Susie Wiles(Getty Images)

Smith ended up charging Trump in 2023 with multiple felony offenses related to alleged efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 election and Trump’s handling of the documents after he left office.

A federal judge later dismissed the election interference case after Smith moved to drop it following Trump’s re-election, citing a Justice Department policy against prosecuting a sitting president.

Smith also dropped the Justice Department’s appeal of a separate ruling that dismissed the classified documents case. Trump has denied any wrongdoing in both matters.

The subpoenas were issued during the Biden administration, while special counsel Jack Smith was investigating Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.(Kylie Cooper/Reuters)

In a statement to Fox News Wednesday, Patel called the move to seize the phone records “outrageous and deeply alarming.”

“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.

The FBI had found the phone records in files labeled as “Prohibited,” Reuters reported.

Patel also said he recently ended the FBI’s ability to categorize files as “Prohibited.”

Patel called the move to seize the phone records “outrageous and deeply alarming.”(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Fox News also learned from two FBI officials that in 2023, FBI agents recorded a phone call between Wiles and her attorney.

According to those officials, Wiles’ attorney was aware the call was being recorded and consented, but Wiles was not informed.

Smith testified last year that records of members’ calls helped investigators verify the timeline of events surrounding the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

He said prosecutors “followed all legal requirements in getting those records” and told a House panel the records obtained from lawmakers did not include the content of conversations, Reuters reported.

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

Related Article

Grassley: Biden DOJ bypassed constitutional safeguards by subpoenaing senator phone records

Emma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture.

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US will not allow Venezuelan government to pay Maduro’s legal fees, lawyer says

February 25, 2026 10:02 PM UTC / Reuters

By Luc Cohen

Venezuela’s captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores attend their arraignment with defense lawyers Barry Pollack and Mark Donnelly to face U.S. federal charges including narco-terrorism, conspiracy, drug trafficking, money laundering and others, at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in… [Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab]Read more

• Summary

• Venezuelan law requires government to pay expenses, lawyer says
• Maduro captured in a dramatic U.S. raid in Caracas last month
• Maduro and Flores plead not guilty to drug trafficking charges

NEW YORK, Feb 25 (Reuters) – The U.S. is blocking the Venezuelan government from paying for Nicolas Maduro’s legal representation in the drug trafficking case he faces in New York, the deposed Venezuelan president’s defense lawyer said on Wednesday.

Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores both pleaded not guilty on January 5 to drug trafficking charges that could land them in U.S. prison for decades. They are jailed in New York awaiting trial.

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In a letter addressed to U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who is overseeing Maduro’s case, defense lawyer Barry Pollack said the Treasury Department on January 9 granted an exception to U.S. financial sanctions on Venezuela allowing the South American country’s government to pay Maduro’s fees, but revoked that permission hours later without explanation.

Pollack said “Venezuelan law and custom” dictate that the government pays the expenses of the President and First Lady.

“The government of Venezuela has an obligation to pay Mr. Maduro’s fees, Mr. Maduro has a legitimate expectation that the government of Venezuela would do so, and Mr. Maduro cannot otherwise afford counsel,” Pollack wrote in a letter dated February 20 but made public on Wednesday.

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A spokesperson for the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office, which brought the case, declined to comment. The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

U.S. special forces captured Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in a dramatic nighttime raid in Caracas on January 3, following months of pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on the socialist leader to step down. Prosecutors say Maduro abused his power to help drug traffickers throughout his 13-year tenure.

Since Maduro’s capture, his former Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has been running Venezuela. Maduro said in his January 5 court appearance that he was still the country’s legitimate president.

Pollack said Flores could still receive government funds for her legal fees. Her lawyer, Mark Donnelly, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Pollack is best known for representing WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to obtain and disclose classified defense information.

Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by David Gregorio

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USDA selling its flagship South Building in Washington, relocating staff

February 25, 2026 8:28 PM UTC / Reuters

By Karl Plume

February 25, 2026 8:28 PM UTC Updated 3 hours ago

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Item 1 of 2 The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Jamie L. Whitten Building is seen on the National Mall, from the Old Post Office Tower after U.S. President Donald Trump threw his support behind calls for a federal government takeover of the U.S. capital, in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 21, 2025. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura

[1/2]The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Jamie L. Whitten Building is seen on the National Mall, from the Old Post Office Tower after U.S. President Donald Trump threw his support behind calls for a federal government takeover of the U.S. capital, in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 21, 2025…. Read more

• Summary
• Companies

• Trump has moved to downside and reshape US government
• Thousands of USDA employees have left the government
• Building is “shell of what it once was,” USDA chief says

CHICAGO, Feb 25 (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture is selling its flagship South Building office hub on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and relocating employees to other locations across the country by the end of the year, the agency said on Wednesday.

The move to vacate and sell the massive but aging building is part of a broader cost-cutting initiative at the department, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said, citing high maintenance costs and low occupancy.

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Thousands of USDA employees have taken buyouts and left the department over the past year amid Republican U.S. President Donald Trump’s effort to reshape and reduce the size and footprint of the federal government.

“At one time, the South Building was the beating heart of USDA, alive with research and teeming with activity decades ago. But today, it is a shell of what it once was,” Rollins said at a press conference outside the building on Wednesday.

The building will be turned over to the government’s General Services Administration for sale, Rollins said as Iowa Senator Joni Ernst unveiled a “For Sale By Owner” sign.

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The flagship USDA property, built in the U.S. capital in the 1930s, has $1.6 billion in delinquent maintenance costs while about 80% of its offices are vacant, GSA Administrator Edward Forst said.

The USDA has said it is planning to relocate much of its remaining staff in the U.S. capital to hubs in North Carolina, Missouri, Indiana, Colorado and Utah.

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Reporting by Karl Plume in Chicago; Editing by Will Dunham

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Kalshi fines and suspends MrBeast employee for insider trading

Updated on: February 25, 2026 / 4:39 PM EST / CBS News

Kalshi on Wednesday said it fined and suspended an employee of the popular YouTuber MrBeast for insider trading, marking one of the first disciplinary actions within the fast-growing prediction market industry.

The case involved bets related to MrBeast’s videos, which were flagged by Kalshi’s surveillance team for their “near-perfect trading success on markets with low odds,” according to the company’s statement.

In a regulatory notice, Kalshi identified the individual behind the wagers as Artem Kaptur, whom the company said was employed as an editor for MrBeast while he traded on non-public information he obtained through his job.

“If you insider trade or manipulate the market, there will be consequences,” Kalshi said in a social media post.

MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, runs the most popular channel on YouTube, with roughly 468 million subscribers, according to vidIQ.

In a statement to CBS News, Beast Industries, the media company behind MrBeast, said it “has no tolerance for this behavior, whether by contestants or our own employees.”

“With regard to this particular matter, we’ve already initiated an independent investigation as part of our overall ongoing efforts to ensure the integrity of our workplace and trust with our global audiences,” a spokesperson for Beast Industries said.

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Insider trading risks

Kalshi and rival prediction markets such as Polymarket allow people to place bets on sports, politics, entertainment and any other events. For example, users can wager on the Super Bowl or which celebrity romances might fall apart.

In recent months, some trades on the sites have prompted speculation about possible insider trading. In January, one unidentified Polymarket user won $436,000 on a bet that appeared to anticipate former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s capture by U.S. forces.

On Wednesday, Kalshi noted that it has opened 200 investigations into potential insider trading, which is banned on its site, in the past year.

Kaptur was fined $15,000 and ordered to return $5,397.58 in profits related to his trading on Kalshi, according to the company. The prediction market also suspended Kaptur for two years from the site.

Gubernatorial candidate bet on himself

Separately, Kalshi on Wednesday also said it imposed a five-year ban on Kyle Langford, who used the platform to wager $200 on his candidacy for governor of California. Langford was banned from the site for five years and fined $2,000, as well as required to return profits of $246.36.

“Note: this candidate recently announced he is no longer running for Governor and is now instead running for Congress,” Kalshi said in a filing.

In both Kaptur and Langford’s cases, their trades were flagged by Kalshi’s systems, leading its surveillance team to freeze their accounts, the company said.

“Neither trader withdrew any profits. These penalties are not indicative of future penalties — everything depends on the case, including amount traded and rules violated,” the company noted.

Kalshi said it has reported both cases to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and will donate the fines to a nonprofit that provides consumer education on derivatives markets.

Edited by Alain Sherter

Ukrainian president says his country is ready to freeze conflict along current lines but won’t surrender uncaptured territory

KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia is trying “to play with the president of the United States” in stalling U.S.-brokered efforts to end the war.

In an interview with Fox News in Kyiv, Zelenskyy pushed back on suggestions from President Trump that Ukraine is the one holding up the peace process.

“We always supported peace,” Zelenskyy said. “When you are at your home, in your house, on your territory, in your city, of course you want to stop it.” Instead, Zelenskyy charged that Russia is attempting to drag out discussions, to avoid making concessions. “They try to play with the president of the United States,” he said.

[image_1]

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is interviewed by Fox News senior foreign affairs correspondent Greg Palkot in Kyiv, Ukraine on Feb. 25, 2026.(Fox News)

Asked by Fox News if he thinks Vladimir Putin is playing a game, Zelenskyy replied: “Yeah, I think so. Yeah. He needs to postpone any kind of negotiations.”

Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready to freeze the conflict along its current lines, proposing a ceasefire to be followed by negotiations. But he said he would not accept a Russian demand for Ukraine to surrender territory the Russian army has not been able to capture in four years of fighting.

Fox News spoke with Zelenskyy at his offices in Kyiv, a heavily guarded complex where the lights are dimmed and sandbags dot the corridors. Among the grand marble staircases and high ceilings, walls are decorated with giant portraits of soldiers, standing some 12 feet tall.

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President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a press conference following their meeting to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, in Anchorage, Ala., Aug. 15, 2025.(Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Speaking one day after the conflict entered its fifth year, Zelenskyy accepted that some in Ukraine are weary of war. But he said peace proposals so far are heavily tilted toward Russia’s demands.

“Everybody wants peace, and a lot of people are tired,” Zelenskyy said. “But believe me, not everybody is ready… to eat what Putin cooked for us.”

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The Ukrainian leader urged President Trump to visit his country, saying: “He will see such a result of the attacks. And he will see how the nation really lives. Not just surviving.”

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Portraits of Ukrainian soldiers are seen at the Memorial for the Fallen at Independence Square Maidan on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Kyiv Monday, Feb. 24, 2025.(Bo Amstrup/NTB/AFP via Getty Images)

Despite massive losses, Zelenskyy hailed Ukraine’s fight. “Russia couldn’t and can’t occupy us. They didn’t win, and for us it’s a victory. We defended our independence and freedom.

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“They didn’t change the country. They didn’t change our flag.

“I’m sure that Russia recognized — really recognizes now — that it was a big mistake.”

Simon Owen is a Fox News Senior Field Producer based in its London, UK bureau. Simon can be followed on Instagram at @simon384