Top Stories • February 17, 2026

U.S. and Iranian negotiators met in Geneva for a second round of high-stakes nuclear talks this month, as regional tensions rise and Washington increases its military presence. Iran signaled it may consider limits on uranium enrichment, though major disputes remain over inspections and nuclear stockpiles. Also in Geneva, Russian and Ukrainian delegations opened U.S.-mediated peace talks aimed at ending the nearly four-year war, even as Moscow launched hundreds of drones and missiles overnight, highlighting the deep divide between both sides. Back in Washington, the partial federal shutdown has entered day four with Congress out of session until next week, leaving thousands of federal workers facing furloughs and disrupted services. Civil rights leader Reverend Jesse Jackson has died at 84. A protégé of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and two-time presidential candidate, Jackson spent decades advocating for voting rights, economic justice, and racial equality. In business, Warner Bros. has reopened takeover talks with Paramount after Netflix granted a temporary waiver, though Paramount’s board continues to back Netflix’s $83 billion offer as its preferred deal. And in Europe, Belgium has summoned U.S. Ambassador Bill White following his accusations of antisemitism tied to a criminal investigation, claims Belgian officials called misinformation and interference.

Daniel Compatangelo reports.