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美以达成一致 施压伊朗减少对中国石油出口

2026年2月15日 07:03 / 联合早报

消息称，美国总统特朗普和以色列总理内坦亚胡达成一致，将致力于减少伊朗对中国的石油出口。

美国新闻网站Axios星期六（2月14日）引述美国官员报道称：“我们一致认为，我们将全力以赴对伊朗施加最大压力，例如在伊朗对华石油销售方面。”

内坦亚胡星期三（11日）到白宫会晤特朗普，他力主白宫在核谈判中采取强势立场，要伊朗不只放弃发展核武，也须放弃弹道导弹计划及不再支持哈马斯、胡塞武装和黎巴嫩真主党。

中国占伊朗石油出口的80%以上。任何减少对中国的石油贸易都将意味着伊朗石油收入的下降。

上周，美国和伊朗外交官通过阿曼调解方举行核问题会谈，试图重启外交对话。特朗普此前已在该地区部署一支海军舰队。

不过，消息称，美军正为可能对伊朗发动的持续数周军事行动做准备。一旦谈判不成，特朗普一声令下，就会对伊朗发动范围和力度比以往更大的军事打击。

特朗普星期五（13日）前往北卡罗来纳州的布拉格堡陆军基地巡视，被记者询及是否要伊朗政权更迭时说：“这看起来是可能发生的最好结果。”

不过，他拒绝说明希望由谁来接替伊朗最高领袖哈梅内伊，仅说“有一些人选”。

泽连斯基：美国老是要乌克兰让步

发布/2026年2月15日 07:18

乌克兰总统泽连斯基星期六（2月14日）在慕尼黑安全会议上发表演讲时称，美方经常回到“让步”这一话题，但美方提到的让步往往“只在涉及乌克兰而非俄罗斯的语境下”讨论。 （法新社）

乌克兰总统泽连斯基指出，围绕乌克兰问题的谈判有时候在“各说各话”，美国经常要求乌克兰、而不是俄罗斯作出让步。

新华社报道，根据乌克兰总统网站发布的演讲稿，泽连斯基星期六（2月14日）在慕尼黑安全会议上发表演讲时称，有时候感觉各方谈论的东西“截然不同”。

他指出，美方经常回到“让步”这一话题，但美方提到的让步往往“只在涉及乌克兰而非俄罗斯的语境下”讨论。

泽连斯基回答主持人提问时，承认他“有点”感受到来自特朗普的压力，同时称乌方已然在许多方面作出让步。

泽连斯基也将当前俄乌就领土让步问题进行的谈判，与1938年的慕尼黑协定相提并论。当时，希特勒迫使欧洲列强做出领土让步，而这距离第二次世界大战爆发仅一年之遥。

他警告说：“认为分裂乌克兰就能结束这场战争的想法，只是一种错觉——就像当初认为牺牲捷克斯洛伐克就能让欧洲免于一场大战一样。”

泽连斯基在演讲中说，乌方希望即将举行的新一轮乌美俄三方会谈能严肃、具有实质性且有益于各方。

此前，由美俄乌三国代表组成的安全问题工作组在阿联酋首都阿布扎比举行两轮会谈，俄方代表团由俄武装力量总参谋部情报总局局长科斯秋科夫率领。俄总统新闻秘书佩斯科夫13日说，新一轮会谈将于2月17日至18日在瑞士日内瓦举行，俄代表团将由俄总统助理梅金斯基率领。

Obama compares ICE’s ‘rogue behavior’ in Minnesota to dictatorships

PUBLISHED Feb 14, 2026, 4:33 PM ET / CNN Politics

Former US President Barack Obama speaks on the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on August 20, 2024.

Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images

Former President Barack Obama criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents’ conduct in Minnesota as dangerous, saying “the rogue behavior” is akin to what “we’ve seen in authoritarian countries” and “in dictatorships.”

The comments, which came during a wide-ranging interview with liberal podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen out Saturday, are the latest example of the former president reneging on his long-standing strategy of minimizing his public presence to allow the next generation of Democrats to emerge. He deliberately took a back-seat role during former President Joe Biden’s term.

Obama, who has previously criticized President Donald Trump’s deployment of federal agents to US cities, called the actions of immigration enforcement agents in Minnesota “deeply concerning and dangerous.”

The sweeping immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota, which saw the deployment of roughly 3,000 federal agents, has been hallmarked by numerous videos showing federal agents’ aggressive tactics and confrontations with the public.

“It is important for us to recognize the unprecedented nature of what ICE was doing in Minneapolis, St. Paul, the way that federal agents — ICE agents — were being deployed, without any clear guidelines, training, pulling people out of their homes … tear-gassing crowds simply who were standing there, not breaking any laws,” Obama said.

He added that American citizens should be commended for engaging in “peaceful protests and shining a light on the sort of behavior that, in the past, we’ve seen in authoritarian countries and we’ve seen in dictatorships, but we have not seen in America.”

Demonstrators participate in a rally and march during an “ICE Out” day of protest on January 23, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

The killings of protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti in January at the hands of immigration enforcement agents in Minneapolis prompted outrage in the city and across the nation. The Trump administration this week announced it is ending its monthslong immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota.

Obama, who wrote a column in January saying Pretti’s death should be “a wake-up call” that America’s core values are “under assault,” praised the response of protesters in Minnesota.

Protesters have largely adopted a strategy of civil disobedience in Minnesota, which has included alerting their communities of the presence of immigration agents using whistles, car horns and shouting, and recording encounters with agents.

“That kind of heroic, sustained behavior in subzero weather by ordinary people is what should give us hope,” Obama said in the latest interview.

Obama slams political ‘clown show’

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The interview was Obama’s first since Trump’s social media account earlier this month posted and then deleted a racist video depicting the former president and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes in a jungle. Cohen, while mentioning the video, asked Obama how America can reverse the decline of civil discourse.

Though Obama didn’t directly address Trump’s post, he said, “There’s this sort of clown show that’s happening in social media and on television,” adding that people “who used to feel like you had to have some sort of decorum and a sense of propriety and respect” appear to not be showing “any shame about this.”

Trump has refused to apologize for the video, blaming a staffer for the mistake and insisting he hadn’t seen the final frames of the video which contained the offensive content.

“I think it’s important to recognize that the majority of the American people find this behavior deeply troubling,” Obama said. “It is true that it gets attention. It’s true that it’s a distraction.”

He argued that America can restore “norms, rule of law (and) decency” by saying “enough,” something he said he’s now “seeing across the board.”

丹麦首相弗雷泽里克森：特朗普仍渴望拥格陵兰岛 | 联合早报

发布时间 / 来源：2026年2月15日 07:56 / 联合早报

丹麦首相弗雷泽里克森说，尽管美国总统特朗普近期收回武力夺取格陵兰岛的威胁，但她仍然认为特朗普渴望拥有格陵兰岛。

法新社报道，在星期六（2月14日）的慕尼黑安全会议上，当被问及特朗普是否仍然想要拥有这座北极岛屿时，弗雷德里克森说：“不幸的是，我认为他的想法没有改变。”

她说：“每个人都在问我们，我们是否认为这件事结束了？不，我们认为还没有结束。”

弗雷德里克森也说：“我们现在有一个工作组，这很好。我们将努力寻找解决方案……当然，有些底线是不能逾越的。我们将坚持我们的战略。”

美国、丹麦和格陵兰岛已成立一个工作组，讨论华盛顿在北极地区的安全关切，但具体细节尚未公开。

弗雷德里克森和格陵兰岛总理尼尔森说，岛上居民所承受的压力“令人无法接受”。

尼尔森说，目前已采取了一些“正确的措施”。

此前，弗雷德里克森和尼尔森于星期五（13日）在安全会议期间，与美国国务卿鲁比奥进行了15分钟的会晤，弗雷德里克森随后称这次会晤“富有建设性”。

Olympic villages ran out of free condoms. Organizers promise a Valentine’s weekend restock.

February 14, 2026 / 1:38 PM EST / AP

On Valentine’s Day at the Milan Cortina Olympics, a renewed supply of free condoms for the athlete villages was promised by the organizers after going short during the week.

“We can confirm that condom supplies in the Olympic Villages were temporarily depleted due to higher-than-anticipated demand,” the Italian organizing committee said in a statement Saturday. “Additional supplies are being delivered and will be distributed across all villages between today and Monday.”

Providing condoms for athletes has been a gift from organizers — and a constant fascination to the world — for decades.

While 300,000 condoms were provided for more than 10,500 athletes at the 2024 Paris Summer Games, the original stock was much lower for these Winter Games.

“I think 10,000 have been used, 2,800 athletes — you can go figure, as they say,” International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams said Saturday. “It clearly shows that Valentine’s Day is in full swing in the village.”

Reports of no condoms in week one of the games followed an absence of plush toys of the official mascots, Milo and Tina, in the opening days. They proved more popular than expected in the official Olympics merchandise stores.

Condoms are traditionally popular for Olympic athletes to take home as “a kind of gift” to friends, Alpine skier Mialitiana Clerc said Saturday.

“I’m not so shocked. I saw it in Beijing already,” said Clerc, who also competed for Madagascar four years ago at the Winter Games in China. “There were some boxes with a lot of condoms at the entrance of every building where we were staying at the village.”

“Every day, everything was (gone),” she recalled about Beijing at an IOC news conference Saturday to promote its scholarship program that helps hundreds of athletes to train and qualify for the Olympics.

“I already know that a lot of people are using some condoms or just taking them to give to their friends outside of the Olympics because it’s a kind of gift for them,” Clerc said.

There should be no further shortage in Italy until the Winter Games closing ceremony on Feb. 22.

“They will be continuously replenished until the end of the games to ensure continued availability,” the local organizing committee said.

Trump trounces Biden energy records in just months as admin celebrates 1 year of ‘historic gains’: data

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum cites ‘real savings’ for families as natural gas exports surge to historic highs

By Emma Colton
Fox News
Published February 14, 2026 12:35pm EST

FIRST ON FOX:The White House on Saturday marked the one-year anniversary of President Donald Trump’s National Energy Dominance Council by drawing a sharp contrast with the Biden-era, including Interior Secretary Doug Burgum citing higher production and lower gas prices as proof of “real savings” for Americans.

“Under the President’s leadership and through the Council’s relentless execution, we have delivered historic gains in energy production, affordability, and security,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, chair of the National Energy Dominance Council, told Fox News Digital.

“Gasoline prices have fallen to some of the lowest levels in years, permitting has been streamlined, and American energy exports are surging,” he added. “These achievements are not abstract, they mean real savings for families, farmers, and small businesses, and they are strengthening our position on the world stage.”

Trump signed an executive order creating the National Energy Dominance Council on Feb. 14, 2025, which was tasked with cutting red tape and coordinating agencies to boost U.S. energy production, speed up permitting approvals, expand exports and deliver a national “energy dominance” strategy.

TRUMP DIRECTS MILITARY TO STRIKE NEW DEALS WITH COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS: ‘GOING TO BE BUYING A LOT OF COAL’

Energy Secretary Chris Wright, left, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, right.(Costas Baltas/Getty Images)

A year later, the administration pointed to a series of metrics showing the U.S. has accelerated past Biden-era data on production — while driving down energy costs that ripple through household budgets, from gas and heating to shipping and groceries.

U.S. crude oil production, for example, reached a record 13.6 million barrels per day in 2025, with the White House calling it the highest output of any country in the world. In comparison, the Biden administration took four years for production to climb from 11.3 million to 13.2 million barrels per day, a figure “Trump blew past in months,” according to the White House.

On the natural gas production front, the administration said the U.S. produced 110.1 billion cubic feet per day in November 2025, the highest level recorded since federal tracking began in 1973. All in, production is about 8% above the Biden-era average, and 4% above the previous record for U.S. natural gas production, according to the data.

TRUMP ADMIN TO REPEAL OBAMA-ERA GREENHOUSE GAS FINDING IN LARGE-SCALE DEREGULATION

While the U.S. has also widened its lead as the world’s top liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter, with average LNG exports rising to 15 billion cubic feet per day in 2025, up from 11 under the Biden administration.

Then-President-elect Donald Trump shakes hands with then-President Joe Biden at Trump’s inauguration in the Capitol Rotunda Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington.(Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty Images)

“As we mark this anniversary, we reaffirm our commitment to advancing American Energy Dominance and ensuring that our nation’s energy abundance continues to power prosperity, security, and freedom for generations to come,” Burgum added in a comment to Fox News Digital.

TRUMP TO HOST ‘CLEAN BEAUTIFUL COAL’ EVENT, CALLS IT AMERICA’S MOST RELIABLE ENERGY

Lowering prices through an expanded energy grid was crucial to the executive order establishing the council itself, calling for “reliable and affordable energy production to drive down inflation, grow our economy, create good-paying jobs.”

Energy has emerged as a key piece of the administration’s puzzle of addressing affordability concerns stemming from the Biden era when inflation hit a 40-year-high, as cheaper energy typically ripples through the economy by cutting transportation and shipping costs and lowering the power bills factories pay to make everything from groceries to building materials.

A sticker of President Joe Biden is placed on a gas pump at an Exxon Station on March 9, 2022, in Lakewood, Colorado.(RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

The White House cast cheaper gas as a kitchen-table win this year, touting pump prices are about $2.90 a gallon, which is 16% below the Biden-era average and a roughly 42% drop from the $5.02 peak in June 2022. The administration celebrated that affordable energy benefits Americans from working families and rural communities, to small businesses and farmers who typically frequently drive farther for gas or those on a budget.

Crude oil prices have fallen by roughly 18% in 2025, dropping to $65 a barrel from the $79 Biden-era average, according to the data.

Environmental groups have meanwhile slammed Trump’s “energy dominance” push as a fossil-fuel expansion that undercuts climate goals and could increase pollution and impacts on public lands and communities.

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“One year ago, President Donald J. Trump launched the National Energy Dominance Council to restore America’s Energy Dominance and make life more affordable for hardworking families. Today, the results speak for themselves,” Burgum said of the data.

American Jordan Stolz wins 2nd speedskating gold at Winter Olympics

Updated on: February 14, 2026 / 12:05 PM EST / CBS News

Jordan Stolz won his 2nd Olympic speedskating gold medal on Saturday, becoming the first American since 1980 to win two gold medals in the sport.

He placed first in the 500-meter event. He previously earned a gold medal in the 1,000-meter event, marking the first time an American medaled in the race since 2010.

Stolz will compete in two more events in Milan: The 1,500-meter race on Thursday and the mass start next Saturday. Stolz previously told CBS News that he expects his future events to be “some of the best races I’ve had all year.”

“That’s what I’m looking for,” Stolz said on Wednesday.

Stolz has set a number of speedskating records. He holds the record for fastest 1,000-meter skate and is a two-time world champion at the distance. He went 5-for-5 in the World Cup circuit this season in the same event.

He also skates professionally for the Dutch speedskating team, Albert Heijn Zaanlander. Speedskating is a popular sport in the Netherlands. Stolz told CBS News before the Milan Cortina Winter Games that he hopes to help bring speedskating to the U.S.

He previously competed at the Beijing Games in 2022 as a 17-year-old, where he came in 14th in the 1,000 and 13th in the 500.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/american-jordan-stolz-olympic-record-as-us-picks-up-5-more-medals/

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is continuing his streak of breaking with his party — this time on voter ID legislation gaining momentum in the Senate.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Democrats have near-unanimously rejected the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, election integrity legislation that made its way through the House earlier this week.

Schumer has dubbed the legislation “Jim Crow 2.0,” arguing it would suppress voters rather than encourage more secure elections.

[COLLINS BOOSTS REPUBLICAN VOTER ID EFFORT, BUT WON’T SCRAP FILIBUSTER]

[Image 45: john fetterman]

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., speaks to a reporter as he arrives in the U.S. Capitol for a vote on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

But Fetterman, who has repeatedly rejected his party’s messaging and positions, pushed back on Schumer’s framing of the bill.

“I would never refer to the SAVE Act as like Jim Crow 2.0 or some kind of mass conspiracy,” Fetterman told Fox News’ Kayleigh McEnany on “Saturday in America.”

“But that’s part of the debate that we were having [here in the Senate] right now,” he continued. “And I don’t call people names or imply that it’s something gross about the terrible history of Jim Crow.”

The bill would require voters to present photo identification before casting ballots, require proof of citizenship in person when registering to vote and mandate states remove non-citizens from voter rolls.

[MURKOWSKI BREAKS WITH GOP ON VOTER ID, SAYS PUSH ‘IS NOT HOW WE BUILD TRUST’]

[Image 46: Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in the Senate subway]

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, announced her support for the SAVE America Act, but won’t go as far as to nuke the Senate filibuster.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Momentum is building among Republicans. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, became the 50th member of the conference to back the legislation. But Senate Democrats have all but guaranteed its demise in the upper chamber, via the filibuster.

[Image 47: placeholder]

Fetterman would not say whether he supports the bill outright. However, he noted that “84% of Americans have no problem with [presenting IDs to vote].”

“So it’s not like a radical idea,” Fetterman said. “It’s not something — and there already are many states that show basic IDs. So that’s where we are in the Senate.”

[HARDLINE CONSERVATIVES DOUBLE DOWN TO SAVE THE SAVE ACT]

[Image 48: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.]

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Democrats are ready to buck the SAVE Act.(Kevin Dietsch/Getty)

Even if Fetterman were to support the bill on the floor, it is unlikely to pass without more significant procedural changes.

There are currently not enough votes to overcome the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster threshold.

Fetterman is also not keen on eliminating the filibuster — a position shared by most Senate Republicans.

[CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP]

[Image 49: placeholder]

He noted that Senate Democrats once favored scrapping the filibuster but now want to preserve it while in the minority in a Republican-controlled government.

“I campaigned on it, too,” Fetterman said. “I mean we were very wrong about that to nuke the filibuster. And we should really humble ourselves and remind people that we wanted to eliminate it — and now we love it.”

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

Mike Lee-led campaign gains crucial vote but faces 60-vote Senate filibuster challenge

By Alex Miller | Fox News

Published February 14, 2026 12:16pm EST

[‘SAVE America Act’ heads to Senate]

Panelists Matt Gorman and David Carlucci spar over the GOP’s push to tighten voter requirements on ‘The Story.’

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[Senate Republicans] gained a key ally in their quest to enshrine voter ID into law, but the lawmaker’s support comes with a condition.

A trio of lawmakers, led by Sen. [Mike Lee], R-Utah, have undertaken a campaign to convince their colleagues to support the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, working social media and closed-door meetings to secure the votes.

The campaign has proven successful, with the cohort gaining a crucial vote from Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who announced that she would back the SAVE America Act, which recently passed the House. With Collins, Senate Republicans have at least a slim majority backing the act.

[HARDLINE CONSERVATIVES DOUBLE DOWN TO SAVE THE SAVE ACT]

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, announced her support for the SAVE America Act, but won’t go as far as to nuke the Senate filibuster.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“I support the version of the SAVE America Act that recently passed the House,” Collins said in a statement first reported by the Maine Wire. “The law is clear that in this country only American citizens are eligible to vote in federal elections.”

“In addition, having people [provide an ID at the polls], just as they have to do before boarding an airplane, checking into a hotel, or buying an alcoholic beverage, is a simple reform that will improve the security of our federal elections and will help give people more confidence in the results,” she continued.

Collins noted that she did not support the previous version of the bill, known simply as the SAVE Act, because it “would have required people to prove their citizenship every single time they cast a ballot.”

[ONLY ONE HOUSE DEM VOTED IN FAVOR OF VOTER ID, PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP IN US ELECTIONS]

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, is leading the push in the Senate to pass voter ID legislation, and pitching multiple paths that Republicans could take to do it.(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Her decision gives Lee and Senate Republicans the votes needed to clear a key procedural hurdle in the Senate.

“We now have enough votes to pass a motion to proceed to the House-passed bill — even without any additional votes — with Vice President [JD Vance] breaking the tie,” Lee said in a post on X.

That tie-breaking scenario would only present itself if Republicans turn to the standing, or talking, filibuster. It’s a move that Lee has been pushing his colleagues to make, and one that would require actual, physical debate over the bill.

It’s the precursor to the current version of the filibuster, where the only hill lawmakers have to climb is acquiring 60 votes. Lee and other conservatives believe that if they turn to the standing filibuster, rather than the “zombie filibuster,” they can barrel through Democratic resistance.

But some fear that turning to that tool could paralyze the Senate floor for weeks or even months, depending on Senate Democrats’ resolve.

And Collins’ support is not enough to smash through the 60-vote Senate filibuster.

[MURKOWSKI BREAKS WITH GOP ON VOTER ID, SAYS PUSH ‘IS NOT HOW WE BUILD TRUST’]

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., supports voter ID laws, but acknowledged that there aren’t the votes in the Senate to nuke the filibuster to pass it.(Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Complicating matters, Collins made clear that she does not support doing away with the filibuster, as do several other Senate Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader [John Thune], R-S.D., who reiterated earlier this week that the GOP doesn’t have the votes to eliminate the legislative tool.

“I oppose eliminating the legislative filibuster,” Collins said. “The filibuster is an important protection for the rights of the minority party that requires Senators to work together in the best interest of the country.”

[CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP]

“Removing that protection would, for example, allow a future Congress controlled by Democrats to pass provisions on anything they want — D.C. statehood, open borders, or packing the Supreme Court — with just a simple majority of Senators,” she continued.

GOP senators Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, and Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska, remain the only Republicans who have not pledged support for the SAVE Act.

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

Trump insider Tom Barrack kept in regular contact with Jeffrey Epstein for years, files show

2026-02-14T12:00:00-0500 / CBS News

President Trump’s longtime confidant Thomas Barrack, now serving as U.S. ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria, was in regular, close contact with Jeffrey Epstein for years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor, a CBS News analysis of over 100 texts and email exchanges from the newly released Justice Department documents shows.

The correspondence places Barrack, a globe-trotting billionaire, among a circle of wealthy and influential figures who maintained social contact with Epstein even as his criminal history became widely known. Their relationship continued even after Barrack became a prolific fundraiser for Mr. Trump’s 2016 campaign, and later, led his inaugural committee and became a frequent presence in the White House.

At times, Epstein appeared to regard Barrack as a potential conduit for passing information to Mr. Trump, though available records show the communication going only in one direction. There’s no indication Epstein’s communications were passed on to Mr. Trump or that Mr. Trump communicated to Epstein through Barrack.

There’s also no evidence to suggest Barrack participated in or had knowledge of any ongoing criminal conduct by Epstein. Instead, the messages document continuing personal and professional contact during a period when Epstein was attempting to reestablish himself within elite social and financial circles.

The exchanges include invitations to private residences, introductions to diplomats and investors, and discussions of business opportunities. They also show Epstein repeatedly encouraged Barrack to move communications to encrypted messaging apps, records of which are not part of the government release.

Barrack, 78, is the founder and former chairman of a publicly-traded real estate investment trust that had vast holdings in the hotel and casino sectors and in 2008 bought Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch. He rose to prominence in the political world as a leading fundraiser for his friend Donald Trump’s 2016 bid for president. After the election, Barrack became a close adviser to Mr. Trump, especially on matters in the Middle East.

Tom Barrack, the U.S. special envoy to Syria, in Damascus on Feb. 4, 2026. Rami Alsayed/NurPhoto via Getty Images

He was one of several in Mr. Trump’s inner circle to face scrutiny from special counsel Robert Mueller for his foreign entanglements, eventually facing charges on allegations he served as a back-channel for the United Arab Emirates while working inside the White House. A jury acquitted him in 2022. Barrack returned to Mr. Trump’s orbit for his second term, accepting a pivotal diplomatic post in Turkey.

How Barrack first met Epstein is unclear, but in the book “Fire and Fury,” Michael Wolff described Trump, Barrack and Jeffrey Epstein as “a 1980s and ’90s set of nightlife Musketeers.” Epstein’s emails indicate that both Barrack and Epstein had served as sources for Wolff’s book. Mr. Trump called the book “full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that don’t exist.” Mr. Trump has also said he cut ties with Epstein years ago and has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.

The Barrack-Epstein friendship appears to have continued undeterred by Epstein’s fall from grace in Florida, after he was charged for sexual misconduct involving teenage girls. In 2008, he pleaded guilty in a deal that let him avoid federal charges.

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The Free Press:[WATCH: The Epstein Tapes]

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In September 2009, just months after Epstein’s release from the Palm Beach County jail, Barrack wrote to him, “Thinking about u, hope u r good and life is calm again” — a sentiment that marked the beginning of an extended period of contact between the two. Over the following years Epstein encouraged meetings and facilitated introductions between Barrack and individuals including Palantir CEO Peter Thiel, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin.

2016 presidential campaign

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In the early months of 2016, after Mr. Trump surprised the political world by winning the New Hampshire Republican primary, Barrack emerged as one of a select group of insiders helping to shape his outsider’s bid for the White House.

As the Trump momentum grew, Epstein emailed his friend Barrack a greeting and a reminder of their shared past, writing: “hope you are well. photos look good. fyi I receive many calls a week about both Donald ([redacted], marla, beauty contest. mara lago etc) and clinton from reporters. less so recently with clinton, but my answers are always i have nothing to say. or i try to ignore altogether. A few times i have been ambushed on the street with questions. but am more careful now[.]”

Barrack replied, “hope ur good. Let’s catch up.”

Epstein then asked for a photo of Barrack’s newborn baby, writing, “send photos of you and child. —make me smile[.]”

In April 2016, with Barrack deeply enmeshed in the Trump campaign, Epstein reached out again — this time with a warning. He forwarded an email about a potentially damaging lawsuit just filed by a woman using the pseudonym “Katie Johnson.” In the civil complaint, she alleged that Epstein and Trump raped her in 1994. The lawsuit was withdrawn, and Mr. Trump denied those accusations.

Epstein wrote that he considered the legal claim “nuts but i thought you guys should know[.]” The documents do not indicate if Barrack acknowledged or replied to the email.

That July, Barrack spoke at the Republican National Convention in a coveted spot, following Ivanka Trump. He gave a rousing speech, telling the packed arena, “For over three decades, I have seen Donald up close and personal, as a great pal and business partner, across the spectrum of life’s twists and turns.”

Epstein now had a friend solidly placed within Trump’s orbit and that friendship had the potential to benefit them both. It was a relationship that Epstein had been cultivating for years.

Barrack, Epstein and the Middle East

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Epstein and Barrack’s camaraderie, established in the social world of the New York elite in the 1990’s, appears to have continued into the new millennium.

By the early 2000’s both Epstein and Barrack had strong business ties to the Middle East. Epstein frequently traveled there, according to DOJ documents, and Barrack was involved in multiple real estate deals involving Middle Eastern governments.

The earliest reference to Barrack in the newly released Justice Department files is a 2002 email from Tom Pritzker, executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels and a friend of Epstein, to Ghislaine Maxwell, in which Pritzker mentions he’d seen Barrack the previous evening at a dinner in Mexico. Later that year, the files record a FedEx package sent from Epstein’s New York office to Barrack.

Nicole Junkermann

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Epstein’s communication with Barrack picks up about a year after his release from jail. Epstein arranges for Barrack to connect with the financier and German countess Nicole Junkermann, and it appears some sort of relationship, business or personal, takes shape. In the ensuing months Epstein becomes a liaison between the two, with Epstein proffering offerings of assistance to both parties while cultivating his friendship with Barrack.

In one chain, Epstein emailed Barrack’s assistant with an invitation to visit his home in New Mexico, it appears Barrack accepted but a few days later his assistant contacted Epstein and canceled.

In another, Epstein texted Barrack, “Whatever it is, if I can help, I will.”

Two weeks later Barrack sent Epstein an email that said only “I will!!! Complicated!! I have been in a [expletive] storm and didn’t want her exposed!!! Sorry.”

Epstein replied, “Understood , I am always there for you . Good luck.”

Barrack responded “And me for u!!!!”

Royal connections

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In November 2010, Epstein offered Barrack a high-level introduction.

“Prince Andrew will be staying with me for the week in New York,, would you like him there when you come to visit?” he asked in an email.

It’s not clear if that visit happened. Epstein was photographed with Prince Andrew walking in Central Park that week.

That summer Epstein invited Barrack to his ranch in New Mexico for another high-level networking opportunity.

“Sultan will come to the ranch this week, why don’t you join us,” Epstein wrote.

“Sultan” appears to be Epstein confidant Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, a close associate of Epstein’s and prominent port company CEO from Dubai. (The Emirati dignitary was removed as CEO this week in reaction to his own correspondence with Epstein). Barrack responds, “I wish I could–give him a hug for me.”

In August 2011, Barrack emailed Epstein and said “just saw Sultan who likes you a lot! I told him you are the best that you are a first class brain inside of a first class human being! Miss u.”

Six months later, in January 2012, Barrack emailed Epstein: “H@ppy new year. Hope u r good. I have an idea can we talk.” That idea, it appears, was to sell Epstein’s New York mansion to the Qatari Prime Minister Sheik Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani. Epstein and Barrack made arrangements for the sheik and Barrack to come see it a few days later and Epstein prepared the staff, including asking them to remove “nude photos” from the wall.

Epstein told a staff member whose name is redacted to wear “heels” and suggested she tell Barrack that Epstein thanks him every day “for Sarah, he is how I found her.” It is unclear who he was referring to in the remark.

After a several hour delay, the visit was canceled. The next day Barrack told Epstein: “He saw ur house. Love it but not enough bedrooms for him.” Epstein defended his home’s size, one of the largest single-family homes in Manhattan, and said bedrooms were converted for other uses: “gym,office, music, there are 8 upstairs, and three staff down.”

Barrack responded: “He promised me he would see it again when his schedule clears. Hopefully when u are here.” It’s not clear if that meeting ever happened, but later that year the Qatari leader purchased a house across the street for $47 million.

Epstein continued to try and connect in person with Barrack for the rest of the year, apparently unsuccessfully. In December, Epstein forwards an investor email regarding Barrack’s company, Colony Capital, and says “dont you ever rest.”

Barrack responded, “Not until you hire me as ur butler. How is my role model?” Again, it’s unclear who he is referring to.

A changing relationship

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Epstein’s communication with Barrack ebbed until spring of 2016, when Barrack’s focus shifted to the presidential campaign.

On July 22, following Barrack’s GOP convention speech, Epstein emailed to congratulate him. Barrack wrote back, “Thanks pal.”

The following month, Barrack texted Epstein: “Met ur Saudi friend! He loves U!! How r u–Tom Barrack[.]”

Epstein responded: “Great…Download signal app if you have not already. When are you in New York. Tonite? Dinner with Woody [Allen]?”

“I am in turkey. There Monday. I will call u. Will download now,” he replied.

Signal is an encrypted messaging application that allows users to set messages to automatically disappear after a chosen period of time.

That same day, Epstein texted Vitaly Churkin, then Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations, and invited him to his house for a meeting with Barrack and Ehud Barak, the former prime minister of Israel, another close personal friend and business associate of Epstein. Epstein had recently arranged for Churkin’s son Maxim to obtain an internship with the U.S. finance company Boothbay Fund Management and Churkin was a frequent guest at Epstein’s house.

Epstein’s calendar for Aug. 29 includes a notation for “Lunch w/Ehud Barak, Tom Barrack and Vitaly Churkin.”

A month later, Barrack is again scheduled to meet with Epstein, along with the Norwegian diplomat Terje Rod-Larsen, and Epstein also invited Peter Thiel to call in. Epstein sent an email to Barrack with advice on estate planning that day.

The day after the meeting was scheduled, Epstein wrote to Barrack: “I loved thiels suggestion regarding women and children, that everytime you say saving lives etc. I think of the tens of thousands of women and children that died as a direct result of your careless interventions.”

The day after that. Epstein purchased approximately $1 million in stock in Colony Capital, the publicly traded company founded by Barrack.

Epstein and Barrack continue to exchange emails, including links to recently leaked internal emails from Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign chairman, John Podesta. Barrack shares an op-ed he wrote for Fortune. Epstein sends a lengthy email with his analysis of Trump’s performance during his debate with Clinton.

Trump presidency

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On election night in 2016, Epstein watched the results roll in from Saudi Arabia, where he was meeting with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, according to flight records and a source who was close to Epstein at that time. Epstein later emailed a friend that he returned home with a tent, complete with carpets, as a gift.

On Nov. 9, the day after Mr. Trump won the election, a senior Saudi official texted Epstein to ask, “What do you think if The King calls the new President to congratulate him after announcing the results? Epstein responds, “TOM barrack is your point person[.]”

On Nov. 27, a business associate in New York wrote to Epstein to ask about his Thanksgiving. Epstein responded: “really fun, im in palm [beach] with the trump crowd,” adding later to someone else that he was with “barrack and the boys in pb, wild wild.”

Barrack was appointed that winter by Mr. Trump to run his inauguration, and in January, Sultan bin Sulayem wrote Epstein and asked if he should accept Barrack’s invitation to various events. Sulayem attended the Salute to Our Armed Services Ball, according to the New York Post.

Building influence

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In March 2017, Epstein continued to play the role of networker for Barrack, suggesting separately that Bill Gates and the Indian billionaire Amil Ambani meet with Barrack. Epstein reached out to Barrack that same month and suggested he meet with Ambani, and informed him that the prime minister of India would be visiting the U.S. in May.

Over the next year, Epstein made suggestions to several people close to Mr. Trump that the president should consider a war council, including Barrack, to deal with the fallout from the Russia investigation.

In May, with legal trouble bearing down on Barrack as a result of the Mueller probe, Epstein sent Barrack a recommendation for an attorney, writing: “hope you are well. please note [powerhouse white collar attorney] Reid Weingarten if you require advice.”

Barrack replied: “on the bosses list,” presumably referring to Mr. Trump.

Barrack’s communication with Epstein continued sporadically throughout that year. On June 8, Epstein emailed Barrack: “I’m in San Diego. Meet today? Come to my ranch weekend? You look well.”

Barrack responded “In DC! Will signal.”

In early January 2018, as the publisher prepared to release Wolff’s book, Epstein wrote to Wolff, “[B]arrack all over me,” and the next day, “[Barrack] keeps texting me” as he inquired about their inclusion in it.

If their conversation continued on the encrypted app, it’s unclear. Those communications were not part of the Epstein files release.

On Nov. 11, 2018, flight records show that Barrack and Epstein both flew from Teterboro to Palm Beach on their respective jets within an hour of each other.

CBS News has reached out to Barrack, Trump, Junkermann, Thiel and Barak for comment, and has not received responses as of publication.

In:

• Tom Barrack
• Jeffrey Epstein