Next Round of US-Iran Talks Begin; VP Vance Launches Anti-Fraud Effort | NTD Good Morning (Feb. 26)

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine gave an update on the operation in Iran at the Pentagon on Thursday. Secretary Hegseth warning Tehran to ‘choose wisely’ ahead of possible peace talks in Pakistan. Pentagon officials said U.S. joint forces will be ready to restart combat operations if Iran does not agree to a deal.Homeland Security employee Lauren Bullis was killed this week, in what officials describe as a brutal murder. Authorities say Bullis was shot and stabbed by while walking her dog. They have identified the suspect as 26-year-old Olaolukitan Adon-Abel, a naturalized U.S. citizen from the UK. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin suggesting the case underscores the need for stricter enforcement and vetting.House leaders were forced to delay a vote on a controversial spy bill on Wednesday night. Several Republicans refused to back down on their privacy concerns, now discussions are underway to put stronger guardrails in place. One of the main reforms that holdouts want is to require the government to obtain a warrant for “U.S. person queries” after probable cause is established that the person is an agent of a foreign power or has committed a crime.

President Trump saying on Tuesday that Pakistan's capital city Islamabad is the likely location for US-Iran peace talks. The President confirmed that he would not attend the Iran peace talks, but did not say who would be attending. Speaking on Fox News, President Trump saying he views the war as close to over.Late Tuesday night, House lawmakers advanced a controversial section of a spy bill known as FISA. But the path forward is uncertain, with President Trump calling on Republicans to unite. A floor debate is scheduled for Wednesday on Section 702 of FISA, ahead of a final vote to extend this spy power for the next 18 months without any reforms. This spy power is not without controversy, although it’s meant to target intelligence from foreign nationals outside the United States, critics say there aren’t enough guardrails to prevent the government from unlawfully spying on American citizens.On Monday, the U.S. and Indonesia upgraded their defense relationship to what they’re calling a 'Major Defense Cooperation Partnership.' The move deepens coordination on maritime security in Southeast Asia, highlighting the Strait of Malacca, a narrow but critical shipping lane linking the Indian and Pacific Ocean. Under the new deal, the U.S. and Indonesia will expand joint training, deploy sensors, and integrate American surveillance technology. The goal is to improve monitoring of the waterway and give Washington more presence in the region.

Lebanon and Israel are expected to hold talks on Tuesday in Washington, to discuss the situation with Hezbollah. Lebanon's foreign minister says Beirut will use the meeting to push for a ceasefire, while Israel says a ceasefire with Hezbollah is not on the table. This is as the Israel Defense Forces is keeping up the pressure against the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon.President Trump doubling down on his stance on Iran, saying that Iran’s enriched uranium must be removed, and calling Iran’s actions on the world stage unacceptable. The U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is now also in effect. Ships can still pass through the Strait, but not if they’re heading to Iranian ports.Two congressmen, Representative Eric Swalwell and Representative Tony Gonzales are announcing they are leaving Congress after the House launched separate ethics probes into both members. It comes just one day after Swalwell apologized over sexual assault allegations and Representative Gonzales under fire after admitting to a prohibited romantic relationship with a staffer, who later committed suicide.

The U.S. military is launching a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, after peace talks over the weekend failed to produce a deal. CENTCOM says the blockade will be enforced against vessels leaving or entering Iranian ports and coastal areas. U.S. forces said though, that they will not interfere with normal transit through the strait, as long as vessels are not traveling to or from Iranian ports.Lawmakers return to Capitol Hill this week facing a crowded agenda, including a partial shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security now in its 59th day. Democrats are pushing for reforms at ICE and Republicans rejecting a proposed ban on agents wearing masks. House Speaker Mike Johnson criticizing a Senate-backed proposal, while a short-term House funding bill remains stalled in the Senate.NASA is already looking ahead after a historic return from the moon. The Artemis II crew is safely back on Earth, arriving in Houston to a rousing welcome. The focus is now shifting to what comes next, with NASA setting its sights on Artemis III, the next step toward returning humans to the lunar surface. Private companies racing to be ready, with SpaceX and Blue Origin developing lunar landers.

NASA’s Artemis II mission is now halfway home, as the crew prepares for a high-stakes return to Earth. Flight teams are carefully tracking every step, with almost no margin for error, as the Orion spacecraft will enter Earth’s atmosphere at approximately 25,000 miles per hour. Splashdown is scheduled for around 8:07 PM Eastern, off the coast of San Diego.Pakistani authorities locking down the capital city of Islamabad, ahead of the high-stakes talks between the U.S. and Iran on Saturday. The talks are expected to focus on securing a lasting ceasefire, following weeks of war. Vice President JD Vance is set to leave for Pakistan on Friday, while an Iranian delegation is also expected there as well.A federal trade court in New York will hear oral arguments on Friday about the legality of President Trump’s latest global tariffs. 24Democrat-led states and two small businesses are challenging the president’s tariffs imposed under a different trade statute. This follows a February Supreme Court ruling which says that an emergency powers statute called IEEPA, doesn’t authorize the president to impose sweeping tariffs.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says that the Trump administration is sending a negotiating team to Pakistan for talks with Iran led by Vice President JD Vance. The first round of talks is set to begin on Saturday morning. The team will also include U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser. This will come just days after Iran and the United States agreed to a deal that secured a two-week ceasefire.The White House is declaring that Iran has agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Press Secretary Leavitt saying on Wednesday that President Trump's maximum pressure campaign and the leverage from Operation Epic Fury is what ultimately led to the Iranian regime asking for and then agreeing to a ceasefire proposal with the US.NASA's Artemis II mission is heading back to Earth after completing a historic flyby of the moon. A plush moon named "Rise" is also flying aboard the Orion spacecraft, serving as the mission’s zero-gravity indicator, floating once astronauts reach weightlessness. "Rise" was designed by an 8-year-old from California, and selected from thousands of global submissions.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine held a press conference at the Pentagon on Wednesday, declaring a ‘historic military victory’ against Iran. Secretary Hegseth saying that Iran’s missile program and defense industrial base has been destroyed, and that the Strait of Hormuz is open for commerce. Following the cease-fire announcements, oil prices drop sharply across the globe, with U.S. crude dropping more than 16%.Georgia voters have elected Trump-backed Republican candidate Clay Fuller, to serve in Congress as Marjorie Taylor Green’s replacement. Fuller won nearly 56% of the vote, though his opponent said the race showed progress for Democrats in the red district. Fuller will fill Greene’s seat until the end of the year, but will have only one month off the campaign trail, as he will have to run in another Republican primary in May to secure a full two-year term.The Justice Department’s newly-created fraud enforcement division is cracking down on fraud across the U.S. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche says its core mission will be to investigate and prosecute those who steal taxpayer dollars and ‘rip off the American people.’ The new division is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to go after fraud.

President Trump now vowing to wipe out Iran's power plants and bridges, if it does not reach an agreement with the U.S. by 8 PM EST on Tuesday, to end the conflict and open the Strait of Hormuz. Trump posted on Truth Social on Tuesday morning saying ‘A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.’The four-person crew aboard NASA’s Artemis II mission is pushing deeper into space than any human before, traveling more than 252,000 miles from Earth, surpassing the record set by Apollo 13 more than five decades ago. The crew also witnessing a rare solar eclipse and distant views of Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn during the flyby. President Trump also marked the historic milestone, saying that the astronauts have ‘made all America really proud.’The Education Department announcing in a video posted on X that it's rescinding multiple Title IX agreements it says pushed a transgender agenda under previous administrations. Officials say those policies wrongly expanded the law beyond its original intent, protecting against discrimination based on sex, by requiring schools to adopt gender identity rules, including pronoun use.

The United States is continuing to strike Iran following a stunning rescue of a U.S. airman. President Donald Trump will address the nation on Monday on Operation Epic Fury. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says the president's press conference on Iran will take place in the White House Briefing Room due to popular demand from the press.NASA's Artemis II mission is now entering a critical phase, with astronauts preparing for a historic flyby of the moon. NASA said lunar gravity will soon take over. The mission marks the first crewed journey around the Moon in more than five decades. NASA said the Moon’s surface offers a record of the solar system’s history through its impact craters. NASA said the mission will help pave the way for future efforts to return humans to the lunar surface later this decade.The White House is hosting its annual Easter Egg Roll today on the South Lawn, with a patriotic theme tied to America's 250th anniversary. First Lady Melania Trump is previewing an expanded lineup of activities for families attending the event. The event includes traditional egg rolling and hunting, along with interactive experiences and educational exhibits.

NASA’s Artemis II crew is officially heading to the moon after a final major engine firing on Thursday, taking them out of Earth’s orbit. The four astronaut crew are on a 10-day mission as they plan on circumnavigating the moon, marking the first time humans have left Earth’s orbit since Apollo 17’s 1972 mission.President Trump is warning of further military action against Iran, saying more strikes could be coming soon, following reports of an air strike hitting a major highway bridge near Tehran. U.S. Central Command says it is making undeniable progress, as the U.S. enters the 5th week of Operation Epic Fury.President Trump announced a major shakeup at the Justice Department, saying Attorney General Pam Bondi will be stepping down. In a social media post, the president praised Bondi’s tenure, calling her a ‘Great American Patriot and a loyal friend.’ President Trump says Bondi will transition to a new role in the private sector, while Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will serve temporarily as acting Attorney General.