US meets Iran in search of historic deal

By: The Hill

Published on: February 17, 2026, 11:41 am

Morning Report is The Hill's a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here. In today's issue: ▪ Jesse Jackson dies at 84 ▪ Next round of Iran nuclear talks ▪ FBI won’t share evidence in Pretti investigation ▪ AOC stumbles on foreign policy U.S. and Iranian officials are set to meet for a second round of talks on Iran’s...

Why violent crime is dropping in US cities

By: The Hill

Published on: February 17, 2026, 11:00 am

Violent crime fell dramatically in 2025, in what experts expect to be the year with the sharpest drop in homicides in recorded history. The decline, detailed in two recent reports of major U.S. cities, follows a trend that began in 2022, after the COVID-19 pandemic saw a record-breaking spike in homicides. “This is the fourth...

DHS shutdown has no clear off-ramp: 5 takeaways

By: The Hill

Published on: February 17, 2026, 11:00 am

There’s no end in sight for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown as both sides point fingers while seemingly moving no closer to a resolution. The Senate left town on Thursday after Democrats decided against supporting a stopgap spending bill over concerns that talks about the full-year funding measure haven’t advanced far enough. They...

Democratic candidates rush to define themselves ahead of primary season

By: The Hill

Published on: February 17, 2026, 11:00 am

The 2028 Democratic primary may be a year off, but many of the would-be candidates have already begun a soft launch with voters. Potential candidates such as Govs. Gavin Newsom of California and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania are turning to newly penned books and late-night appearances. Kamala Harris, the former vice president-turned-2024 Democratic nominee, conducted a...

On voter ID and ICE, do the parties want the policy win or the campaign issue?

By: The Hill

Published on: February 17, 2026, 11:00 am

Republicans want to identify voters. Democrats want to identify Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. Can they both get what they say they want? That’s the question before the Senate as dual-track negotiations continue over funding the Department of Homeland Security and a House-passed bill mandating changes to state election laws. The two have become...

Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson dies at age 84

By: The Hill

Published on: February 17, 2026, 10:22 am

Celebrated civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson died early Tuesday, his family said in a statement, after battling the neurodegenerative disorder Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). He was 84 years old. "Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” the...

Moore’s office fires back at Trump after blaming Potomac sewage spill on local Democrats

By: The Hill

Published on: February 17, 2026, 4:25 am

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) on Monday said President Trump was at fault for the Potomac waste spill, which now appears to be the largest in U.S. history, following scrutiny from the White House leader.  "The President has his facts wrong—again. Since the last century, the federal government has been responsible for the Potomac Interceptor,...

Trump says US, Cuba are talking in midst of oil blockade

By: The Hill

Published on: February 17, 2026, 2:37 am

President Trump on Monday said the United States and Cuba are talking as the island faces crippling circumstances in the midst of a White House-imposed oil blockade. “Cuba is right now a failed nation, and they don't even have jet fuel to get for airplanes to take off. They're clogging up their runway,” Trump told...

Trump: Ocasio-Cortez at Munich conference 'not a good look'

By: The Hill

Published on: February 17, 2026, 1:33 am

President Trump on Monday slammed Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) for what she said at the Munich Security Conference in Germany after the New York lawmaker was asked a series of questions on foreign policy. “I watched AOC answering questions in Munich. This was not a good look for the United States,” the president told reporters...

Hyatt Hotels chair steps down over Epstein association

By: The Hill

Published on: February 17, 2026, 12:22 am

Tom Pritzker resigned as executive chair of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation on Monday, citing his association with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as reason for the departure.  Files released by the Justice Department show Pritzker was in close contact with Epstein in the years after Epstein’s 2008 plea deal for procuring a minor for...

RFK Jr. targets ultra-processed foods 'loophole'

By: The Hill

Published on: February 16, 2026, 11:39 pm

Click in for more news from The Hill {beacon} Health Care Health Care   The Big Story RFK Jr. targets ultra-processed foods 'loophole' In a new "60 Minutes” interview, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. blasted long-standing exemptions allowing the food industry to determine the safety of many ingredients in ultra-processed foods. © Greg Nash One of Kennedy’s priorities...

Collaboration agreements between ICE, local police soar 950 percent in Trump's first year: Analysis

By: The Hill

Published on: February 16, 2026, 11:32 pm

A new analysis shows that enforcement agreements between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local and state law enforcement agencies have increased by more than 900 percent during President Trump’s first term. The analysis, released Monday by criminal justice reform advocacy group FWD.us, found that there are 1,372 agreements between local law enforcement agencies and...

Ocasio-Cortez's Munich appearance draws mixed response from Democrats

By: The Hill

Published on: February 16, 2026, 10:41 pm

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-N.Y.) appearance at the Munich Security Conference has drawn a mixed response from members of her own party, underscoring a potential vulnerability of hers amid speculation she could mount a presidential run in the future. The New York congresswoman took part in the annual international security conference alongside world leaders — including...

Kelly lawyer: Another indictment attempt would be 'remarkable abuse' of DOJ power

By: The Hill

Published on: February 16, 2026, 10:01 pm

Sen. Mark Kelly’s (D-Ariz.) attorney warned the Department of Justice not to pursue a second indictment against the Arizona lawmaker, describing any efforts to do so as a “remarkable abuse of power.” A Friday letter from Kelly’s attorney, Paul Fishman, urges Attorney General Pam Bondi and U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro...

5 takeaways from a tense Munich Security Conference

By: The Hill

Published on: February 16, 2026, 9:59 pm

Strained ties between the U.S. and Europe took center stage at the Munich Security Conference over the weekend, as President Trump forces both sides of the transatlantic alliance to face the consequences of America’s growing belligerence on the world stage. The annual conference, a preeminent venue to debate the state of European and global security,...