News from Multiple Perspectives

At inaugural 'Americas Counter Cartel Conference', Trump officials vowed continued military operations against cartels.

The bill comes as a user on Polymarket made more than $500,000 by taking a position that the US would strike Iran.

Strikes target hospitals, schools, and cultural sites across Iran, disrupting daily life particularly in Tehran.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testifies during a House Committee on the Judiciary oversight hearing of the Department of Homeland Security on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) 2026-03-05T18:50:39Z WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he’s replacing his embattled Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and will nominate in her place Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin. Trump made the announcement on social media on Thursday, two days after Noem faced a grilling on Capitol Hill from GOP members as well as Democrats. Trump says he’ll make Nome a “Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas,” a new security initiative that he said would focus on the Western Hemisphere.

Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, speaks during a news conference about school safety enhancements at North East Independent School District in front of the new Wilshire Safety Training Center Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (Blaine Young/The San Antonio Express-News via AP) 2026-03-05T18:11:45Z WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson and the GOP leadership are calling for Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas to withdraw from his reelection race after he admitted having an affair with a former staff member who later died by suicide. The Republican leadership announced its decision Thursday, a day after Gonzales acknowledged a relationship that has upturned the political world in his home state and in Washington, and after the House Ethics Committee announced an investigation into his conduct. “We have encouraged him to address these very serious allegations directly with his constituents and his colleagues,” said Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Whip Tom Emmer, and GOP Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain in a statement. “In the meantime, Leadership has asked Congressman Gonzales to withdraw from his race for reelection.” freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); Johnson, R-La., has been under enormous pressure from his own GOP lawmakers to take action, and several Republicans have already called for Gonzales to step aside. Republicans are struggling to maintain their slim majority in the House in the fall midterm elections. Gonzales, appearing on the “Joe Pags Show” on Wednesday was asked whether he had a relationship with the aide, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles. Santos-Aviles, 35, died after setting herself on fire in the backyard of her home in Uvalde, Texas. The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office later ruled her death a suicide. “I made a mistake and I had a lapse in judgment, and there was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions,” Gonzales said. The congressman, now in his third term, has said he would not step down in response to the allegations, telling reporters recently that there will be opportunities for all the details and facts to come out.

Cars drive by a Mercedes-Benz dealership on the Bedford Automile in Bedford, Ohio, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) 2026-03-05T18:03:55Z WASHINGTON (AP) — Some two dozen states challenged President Donald Trump’s new global tariffs on Thursday, filing a lawsuit over import taxes he imposed after a stinging loss at the Supreme Court. The Democratic attorneys general and governors in the lawsuit argue that Trump is overstepping his power with planned 15% tariffs on much of the world. Trump has said the tariffs are essential to reduce America’s longstanding trade deficits. He imposed duties under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 after the Supreme Court struck down tariffs he imposed last year under an emergency powers law. Section 122, which has never been invoked, allows the president to impose tariffs of up to 15%. They are limited to five months unless extended by Congress. The lawsuit is led by attorneys general from Oregon, Arizona, California and New York. “The focus right now should be on paying people back, not doubling down on illegal tariffs,” said Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield. The suit comes a day after a judge ruled t hat companies who paid tariffs under Trump’s old framework should get refunds. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); The new suit argues that Trump can’t pivot to Section 122 because it was intended to be used only in specific, limited circumstances — not for sweeping import taxes. It also contends the tariffs will drive up costs for states, businesses and consumers. Many of those states also successfully sued over Trump’s tariffs imposed under a different law: the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Four days after the Supreme Court struck down his sweeping IEEPA tariffs Feb. 20, Trump invoked Section 122 to slap 10% tariffs on foreign goods. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant told CNBC on Wednesday that the administration would raise the levies to the 15% limit this week. The Democratic states and other critics say the president can’t use Section 122 as a replacement for the defunct tariffs to combat the trade deficit. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); The Section 122 provision is aimed at what it calls “fundamental international payments problems.’’ At issue is whether that wording covers trade deficits, the gap between what the U.S. sells other countries and what it buys from them. Section 122 arose from the financial crises that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s when the U.S. dollar was tied to gold. Other countries were dumping dollars in exchange for gold at a set rate, risking a collapse of the U.S. currency and chaos in financial markets. But the dollar is no longer linked to gold, so critics say Section 122 is obsolete. Awkwardly for Trump, his own Justice Department argued in a court filing last year that the president needed to invoke the emergency powers act because Section 122 did “not have any obvious application’’ in fighting trade deficits, which it called “conceptually distinct’’ from balance-of-payment issues. Still, some legal analysts say the Trump administration has a stronger case this time. “The legal reality is that courts will likely provide President Trump substantially more deference regarding Section 122 than they did to his previous tariffs under IEEPA,’’ Peter Harrell, visiting scholar at Georgetown University’s Institute of International Economic Law, wrote in a commentary Wednesday. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); The specialized Court of International Trade in New York, which will hear the states’ lawsuit, wrote last year in its own decision striking down the emergency-powers tariffs that Trump didn’t need them because Section 122 was available to combat trade deficits. Trump does have other legal authorities he can use to impose tariffs, and some have already survived court tests. Duties that Trump imposed on Chinese imports during his first term under Section 301 of the same 1974 trade act are still in place. Also joining the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania. LINDSAY WHITEHURST Whitehurst covers the Supreme Court and legal affairs for The Associated Press. She’s won multiple journalism awards in a career that’s spanned two decades. twitter mailto

Iranian Kurdish opposition groups in exile in northern Iraq tell the BBC they have plans to cross the border but deny already doing so.

Israelis broadly support the US-Israeli military campaign with Iran, even if they are tired of air raid alerts and constant upheaval.

Tehran's approach appears to rest on a belief it can absorb strikes longer than its adversaries sustain pain and costs, writes BBC Persian's Amir Azimi.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) released audio Thursday of a civilian in Tehran describing what it's like on the ground as Operation Epic Fury rocks Iran. "To us here, the war did not start four days ago. It started when we heard the initial news of a piling up of the forces in the region and preparations for war. Now, with the war going on, we hear constant explosions, and there is no respite from this," the unidentified civilian said. The civilian said the frequency of explosions has made people so nervous that even everyday noises can cause panic attacks. "Any moment you can expect a loud noise. This has made us so nervous that any loud noise, including the noise of a car passing by, gives us a panic attack," the civilian said. US 'WINNING DECISIVELY' AGAINST IRAN, WILL ACHIEVE 'COMPLETE CONTROL' OF AIRSPACE WITHIN DAYS, HEGSETH SAYS Even with the noise of the explosions, the civilian, who said he was born and raised in Tehran, noticed the city had become a ghost town as people had either fled the war or limited movements to stay safe from aerial attacks. "As a person who was born and lived his whole life in this city, I have never seen the city so quiet," the civilian said. "Some of the people of my city have left. Many others stayed in, trying to limit movements to avoid getting caught in the aerial attacks on the city that never seem to come to an end. You don't see people around. My city was a very big city and busy. I'm not used to seeing my city so calm and quiet." The U.S. and Israel have carried out air and sea attacks on Iran since the operation began Saturday. The operation has killed at least 1,230 people in Iran, according to The Associated Press . Additionally, six U.S. service members in Kuwait were killed in the hostilities. IRAN’S DRONE SWARM ATTACKS UNLEASH ‘EXPONENTIAL COSTS’ ON US, PROLONGING WAR: 'ASYMMETRIC CAPABILITY' The ICRC has expressed concerns about the situation in Iran, and the organization's president said on day one of Operation Epic Fury that it could have "devastating consequences for civilians." "The military escalation in the Middle East is igniting a dangerous chain reaction across the region, with potentially devastating consequences for civilians," ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said. In a statement issued a few days later, Spoljaric warned that "the scale of major military operations flaring across the Middle East risks embroiling the region — and beyond — into another large-scale armed conflict that will overwhelm any humanitarian response." "Without urgent steps to de-escalate the situation and respect the rules of war, further civilian lives will be lost," Spoljaric added. "Civilians are already suffering the consequences of war." According to the civilian, Iranians on the ground are worried about the future and wonder how the war will play out. Another fear among the people is the possibility of supplies running out. "The supplies are available in the shops that are open and work. But what if the situation gets worse or continues as it is now? Will the supplies being stocked be of any help, or will they be meaningless in the face of what can happen?" the civilian wondered. "It is especially more worrying for people like me, who have to take care of people with medical complications that require special care. We are now under a lot of stress, worried to see what can come next." Fox News Digital reached out to the ICRC for comment.

FIRST ON FOX: As U.S. and Israeli military pressure on Iran intensifies, and President Donald Trump signals support for Kurdish forces, Kurdish opposition groups along the country’s western frontier tell Fox News Digital they are watching closely for an opportunity to strike back against the Islamic Republic, which they have fought for decades. Kako Aliyar, a member of the leadership committee of the Kurdish opposition party Komala, told Fox News Digital from an undisclosed location in Iraq that the Kurdish movements are ready to act if conditions allow. "Kurds have been waiting for a moment to do something," Aliyar said. "We believe that those moments are not far from us." But Aliyar said Kurdish forces cannot yet move against the regime because Iran still retains the ability to launch missile and drone attacks, which opposition fighters would struggle to defend against. IF KHAMENEI FALLS, WHO TAKES IRAN? STRIKES WILL EXPOSE POWER VACUUM — AND THE IRGC’S GRIP Aliyar said Iranian forces continue to target Kurdish opposition bases across the border in Iraq’s Kurdistan region. Trump signaled support for Kurdish fighters launching an offensive against Iran, saying in a telephone interview with Reuters Thursday that he would back such a move. "I think it's wonderful that they want to do that — I'd be all for it," Trump said. Asked whether the United States would provide air cover for a Kurdish offensive, Trump declined to elaborate. "I can't tell you that," he said. Aliyar said Kurdish groups remain under pressure from Iran and continue to face attacks on their bases across the border in Iraq’s Kurdistan region. "Our camps, the Kurdish political parties, are still under attack by the Iranian regime, and we can’t go into detail," he said. Still, he indicated that if the opportunity arises, Kurdish fighters would attempt to return to Iranian territory. "If we get an opportunity to go back to our own country, we will use it," he said. The comments come as Iranian Kurdish opposition groups attempt to present a united front against Iran. In February, several factions formed the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan, bringing together parties including Komala, the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), PJAK and the Kurdistan Freedom Party. Aliyar said the coalition is still organizing itself but carries an important political message. "Politically, it’s a huge message for the Kurdish people inside the country and the international community that Kurds are united," he said. "We are working together, and we are trying to reach our goals together." Kurdish groups have long fought the Iranian government. Armed clashes between Kurdish militants and Iranian forces date back to the years following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when Kurdish factions sought autonomy and were violently suppressed by Tehran. Today, many Kurdish opposition groups operate from neighboring Iraqi Kurdistan, where they maintain political offices and limited military forces. NETANYAHU INSISTS US AND ISRAEL'S STRIKES ON IRAN WON'T LEAD TO 'ENDLESS WAR' Aliyar suggested Kurdish forces would only be able to move if Iran’s military capabilities are significantly degraded. "I believe those missile and drone abilities have to be more weakened or totally removed because we are not able to defend ourselves against them," he said. Iran’s ability to launch missiles and drones remains one of the regime’s strongest deterrents against internal or external challengers. "They can still launch missiles and they can still kill people," Aliyar said. If those capabilities were reduced, he believes Kurdish forces could attempt to exploit the moment. "I think everyone has the capacity to do so because Kurdish political parties have huge legitimacy among the people," he said. "People support them, people support us." However, Aliyar cautioned that no one can predict how events will unfold. "When a war starts, you are trying to find a way to use it in your best way, but you cannot predict what happens tomorrow," he said. Kurds in Iran represent one of the country’s largest ethnic minorities and have historically maintained organized opposition movements . Kurdish parties developed armed wings and political networks decades ago, giving them a level of organizational structure that many other Iranian opposition movements lack. Jino Victoria Doabi, an international political analyst focused on Iran and Kurdistan, told Fox News Digital that "Kurds inside Iran have their own history and tradition of struggle and resistance with political parties and armed forces." Doabi said that Kurdish forces are unlikely to move without clear backing from Washington. TRUMP TELLS IRANIANS THE 'HOUR OF YOUR FREEDOM IS AT HAND' AS US-ISRAEL LAUNCH STRIKES AGAINST IRAN "For that to happen, they need assurance from America , both politically but also security-wise," Doabi said. "Kurds have learned that they cannot just do it for the good cause anymore, because that's going to cause civilians a lot of pain and destruction and killings." Discussions about the idea of Kurdish involvement may have been underway long before the recent escalation, according to Doabi. "I don't think this has happened overnight," she said. "I think this has been discussed for a long time." Despite the growing attention on Kurdish groups, Aliyar emphasized that Iraqi Kurdish authorities are not directly involved in any potential campaign. "Iraqi Kurds are not part of it," he said. "I am not Iraqi, so I cannot comment on that." Analysts say Kurdish insurgents alone are unlikely to topple the Iranian regime. But if internal unrest spreads and Kurdish forces coordinate with broader opposition movements, Iran’s western frontier could become a serious pressure point for Iran. For Aliyar and other Kurdish leaders, however, the goal remains clear after decades of opposition to the Islamic Republic. "We have had this desire for 47 years," he said. "If we get an opportunity, we will use it."

The sinking of the Iranian warship IRIS Dena by a single Mk 48 torpedo has put renewed focus on the U.S. Navy ’s primary undersea weapon, a heavyweight torpedo that first entered operational service in 1972 and has been steadily upgraded for modern naval warfare. The strike on the IRIS Dena marked the first time since World War II that a U.S. submarine used a torpedo to sink an enemy ship. "In the Indian Ocean, an American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo. Quiet Death," War Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a press conference on Wednesday. The Navy says the Mk 48 has long served as its principal undersea weapon, designed to "defeat all threat surface ships and submarines in all ocean environments." IRAN CONTINUES FIRING MISSILES, DRONES AT NEIGHBORING STATES, WITH MULTIPLE INTERCEPTIONS REPORTED The Mk 48 is a submarine-launched torpedo that uses information from the launching submarine and its own sensors to find and strike submarines or surface ships. Physically, the weapon is built for destructive power. According to Navy specifications, the torpedo measures 21 inches in diameter, weighs about 3,744 pounds and carries a 650-pound high-explosive warhead. According to the Department of the Navy's fiscal year 2025 budget estimates, a single Mk 48 torpedo costs approximately $4.2 million. AMERICA STRIKES IRAN AGAIN — HAS WASHINGTON PLANNED FOR WHAT COMES NEXT? Lockheed Martin, one of the Mk 48 torpedo program’s primary contractors, says it can be guided in real time by wire from the launching submarine, allowing operators to update targeting information and adjust its course after launch. If the wire connection is lost, the torpedo can switch to autonomous homing, relying on digital guidance systems and onboard signal processing to continue its pursuit independently. Over time, the torpedo has evolved through hardware variants known as "Mods," each integrating upgraded sensors, guidance and control systems, and propulsion improvements. OIL SLICK, LIFE RAFTS, DOZENS OF BODIES: WHAT SRI LANKAN NAVY FOUND AFTER US SANK IRANIAN WARSHIP The current fleet includes the Mod 7 configuration, developed in partnership with the Royal Australian Navy, while Mod 8 is in development and Mod 9 is being pursued as a rapid prototyping effort, according to the Department of War’s Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Report by the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation. In addition to hardware upgrades, the Mk 48 undergoes recurring software updates known as Advanced Processor Builds, or APBs, which modify tactics, classification algorithms and operator interfaces to improve performance in increasingly complex undersea environments.

The shooting of Nahel Merzouk in 2023 set off unrest across France, where his treatment was seen as emblematic of police brutality toward ethnic minorities.

Days into its offensive against Hezbollah, Israel is massing armored vehicles near the Lebanese border for a potentially much larger ground incursion.

The president’s comments were the most explicit he has been yet about his vision of an American role in creating a new government in Tehran.

Thousands of companies are jockeying for billions of dollars in Defense Department contracts to build a shield designed to intercept and destroy missiles launched against the United States. But amid the intense competition, a handful of firms have an important inside connection. At least four of the companies awarded contracts so far are owned by Cerberus Capital Management, a private equity firm founded by billionaire Steve Feinberg, who until last year ran the company and is now the deputy secretary of defense — the second-highest-ranking official in the Pentagon. Feinberg oversees the office in charge of the Golden Dome for America project, which is modeled on Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. Feinberg filed paperwork saying he divested from Cerberus and its related businesses. But his government ethics records contain an unusual clause: He is allowed to continue contracting with the company for tax compliance and accounting services as well as health care coverage, a financial relationship that documents show could continue indefinitely. Feinberg’s financial statements and ethics agreement are part of a trove of nearly 3,200 disclosure records that ProPublica is making public today. The disclosures, which can be viewed in a searchable online tool, detail the finances of more than 1,500 federal officials appointed by President Donald Trump. Records for Trump and Vice President JD Vance are also included. The documents reveal a web of financial ties between senior government officials and the industries they help regulate — relationships that have drawn scrutiny as Trump has dismantled ethics safeguards designed to prevent conflicts of interest. On his first day back in office, Trump rescinded an executive order signed by President Joe Biden that required his appointees to comply with an ethics pledge. The pledge barred them from working on issues related to their former lobbying topics or clients for two years. Weeks later, Trump fired 17 inspectors general charged with investigating fraud, corruption and conflicts of interest across the federal government. Around the same time, he removed the head of the Office of Government Ethics, the agency that oversees ethics compliance throughout the executive branch. The office is currently without a head or a chief of staff. Read More Explore Financial Disclosures From President Trump and 1,500 of His Appointees Against that backdrop, ProPublica has, over the past year, used the disclosure records to investigate how personal financial interests have intersected with government decision-making inside the Trump administration. The documents helped show that senior executive branch officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi , made well-timed securities trades, at times selling stocks just before markets plunged because Trump announced new tariffs. (The officials either did not respond to requests for comment or said they had no insider information before they made their trades.) Other disclosures revealed that two high-ranking scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency who recently helped downgrade the agency’s assessment of the health risks of formaldehyde had previously held senior positions at the chemical industry’s leading trade group. (The EPA said the scientists had obtained ethics advice approving their work on the project.) In December, ProPublica reported that Trump has appointed more than 200 people who collectively owned — either by themselves or with their spouses — between $175 million and $340 million in cryptocurrency investments at the time they filed their disclosures. Some of those appointees now hold positions overseeing or influencing regulation of the crypto industry . Among them are Todd Blanche, Trump’s former criminal defense attorney and now the second-highest-ranking official in the Justice Department. Blanche’s disclosure records show that he owned at least $159,000 in crypto-related assets last year when he shut down investigations into crypto companies, dealers and exchanges. After ProPublica reported on Blanche’s actions, six Democratic senators accused him of a “glaring” conflict of interest , and a watchdog group asked the Justice Department’s inspector general to investigate . A Justice Department spokesperson has said Blanche upholds the highest ethical standards and that his crypto orders were “appropriately flagged, addressed and cleared in advance,” but she did not respond to questions asking who had cleared his actions. Conflicts of interest have long plagued both Democratic and Republican administrations. But ethics experts say Trump’s second term marks a sharp break from modern norms. Trump has openly defended his family’s financial enrichment while he is in office, including through cryptocurrency deals that critics say allow investors, including foreign entities, to curry favor by boosting the president’s personal wealth. “I found out nobody cared, and I’m allowed to,” Trump told The New York Times , referring to his family’s business dealings. Trump also remains unapologetic about accepting a Boeing 747 worth about $400 million from the Qatari government and transferring nearly $1 billion from a nuclear weapons program to retrofit it. Virginia Canter, chief counsel for ethics and corruption at Democracy Defenders Fund, a nonprofit governmental watchdog group, cited Trump’s new plane as a brazen example of self-dealing. “Ethics is in the toilet,” said Canter, who served as an ethics lawyer at the White House, Treasury Department and Securities and Exchange Commission during the presidencies of George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly defended the president and his appointees. “President Trump is leading the most transparent administration in history,” Kelly said. “He has also nominated highly-qualified individuals across the Executive Branch who have a wide range of public and private sector backgrounds.” The idea of a space-based missile defense shield has persisted ever since President Ronald Reagan proposed his own version nicknamed “Star Wars.” Trump rekindled the idea on the campaign trail. His Golden Dome for America imagines a battery of weapons, deployed from land, sea and space, able to destroy missiles launched at the U.S. We are continuing our reporting on conflicts of interest in the Trump administration. Do you have information you can share about any of the people in our database? Or about current officials not found in our online tool who might have conflicts? You can reach our tip line on Signal at 917-512-0201. Please be as specific, detailed and clear as you can. In December, the Defense Department started selecting companies for the project, for which it has allocated as much as $151 billion. So far, the agency has granted awards to more than 2,000 firms. Cerberus owns or is a majority investor in at least four of them: North Wind, Stratolaunch, Red River Technology and NetCentrics Corp. Citing national security concerns, defense officials have not publicized the amounts of each contract or the products or services the companies are providing. (The Defense Department is required by law to publicly announce only contracts worth more than $9 million.) Feinberg, who co-founded Cerberus in 1992, listed assets worth at least $2 billion when he was nominated by Trump last year. In his ethics agreement, Feinberg said he would divest his stake in the firm, potentially giving assets to irrevocable trusts benefiting his adult children — a maneuver that is legal under federal conflict-of-interest law but one that ethics experts say undermines its intent. Feinberg also told ethics officials that he needed to contract with Cerberus for accounting, tax and health care services in the short term but would find other providers by April 2026. However, at Feinberg’s request, Defense Department officials approved an extension earlier this year, allowing the financial relationship to continue without an end date. In an amendment to his ethics agreement, he said he would “pay customary and reasonable fees” for Cerberus’ services but did not say how much those would be. Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg, center, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, right, at the Pentagon in 2025 Jonathan Ernst/Reuters It’s unclear what role Feinberg has played — or will play — in deciding which firms receive Golden Dome contracts. In response to questions from ProPublica, the Defense Department said Feinberg does not “have direct responsibility for any Golden Dome acquisitions” but did not elaborate. The department would not comment on whether Feinberg or anyone in his office had met with any contractor representatives. What is not disputed is Feinberg’s oversight of the Golden Dome initiative. Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein, who heads the project, reports directly to him . Richard Painter, a former White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, said Feinberg’s ongoing relationship with Cerberus creates at least a perception of a conflict of interest that could undermine confidence in the fairness of the contracting process. “This is what President Eisenhower worried about in the 1960s” when he railed against the military-industrial complex, Painter said of Eisenhower’s farewell address warning of the risks of a too-close relationship between the military and private defense businesses. In response to questions from ProPublica, a Cerberus spokesperson said in an email: “Mr. Feinberg divested his stake in Cerberus and any funds that it manages, and is not involved with the operations of Cerberus or any of its portfolio companies in any way.” The spokesperson added that the administrative services provided to Feinberg “are unrelated to any investment activities or operations of Cerberus or its funds and were pre-approved by the Department of War’s Ethics Office and the Office of Government Ethics.” Another top official in the department is Marc Berkowitz , who was confirmed in December as assistant secretary of defense for space policy. During his confirmation, Berkowitz described the Golden Dome project as one of his top priorities . Berkowitz previously worked as a space industry consultant and vice president for strategic planning at Lockheed Martin. The giant defense and aerospace company was among the firms awarded Golden Dome contracts days before Berkowitz’s confirmation. Lockheed is likely to compete for a large role in the project. The company has set up a webpage dedicated to the Golden Dome , and Reuters reported that Lockheed is one of several firms that received contracts to build competing prototypes of the missile defense system. In his financial disclosure documents, Berkowitz reported receiving two monthly pensions from Lockheed and owning between $1 million and $5 million worth of stock in the firm. Berkowitz agreed to divest by March 18, documents show. During his confirmation hearing, he downplayed any potential role he would have in Golden Dome contract decisions , noting that his position was more about policy. A senior Defense Department official told ProPublica that Berkowitz is recusing himself from matters involving Lockheed until his remaining shares are sold. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the department’s ethics framework is “rigorous” and that Feinberg and Berkowitz are in full compliance with the law. “Any claims to the contrary are fake news,” Parnell said. Other agencies have similar industry links. Across the administration, former lobbyists and corporate executives now occupy influential positions, including Bondi , White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy . Their ties to former clients have made national headlines, but ProPublica’s searchable online tool provides the public an important glimpse into the financial relationships of a powerful and often hidden cadre of presidential appointees within the federal bureaucracy. Reports show that after being nominated to head the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Jonathan Morrison revealed he served for two years as a director of the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association, the trade group that represents companies that make and use self-driving cars. He left the position in February 2024. At his confirmation hearing last year , Morrison said he wanted the NHTSA to set national standards and play a leading role in the industry’s development of self-driving vehicles. Sean Rushton, an NHTSA spokesperson, said Morrison doesn’t have to recuse himself from matters involving the autonomous vehicle group because he left the organization long before the presidential election and his nomination as highway traffic safety administrator. Most political appointees and senior officials in the executive branch are required by law to file public financial disclosure reports. These documents detail their financial assets, the positions they hold outside government, their spouse’s holdings, their liabilities and their recent financial transactions (such as buying or selling stock) during a defined reporting period. For the most part, the law does not require appointees to provide exact financial values but instead a range. At least a dozen appointees withheld the identities of previous clients, ProPublica found. Appointees are allowed to keep the name of former clients confidential under exceptional circumstances, such as when the identity is protected by a court order or revealing the name would violate the rules of a professional licensing organization. In New York and Washington, D.C., for example, the organizations that license attorneys prohibit them from revealing confidential information about a client in most situations, including if doing so would be embarrassing or is likely to be detrimental to the client. While the relationship between a client and an attorney is often made public, in some cases — if, for instance, an appointee had conducted legal defense work for a client during a nonpublic criminal investigation — the client’s identity could be withheld from the financial disclosure. Guidelines issued by the Office of Government Ethics say that such situations are unusual and “it is extremely rare for a filer to rely on this exception for more than a few clients.” But at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, which is responsible for tariff policy, the head of the agency, Jamieson Greer, withheld the names of more than 50 former clients from his time at King & Spalding , one of the nation’s most influential law firms. In his disclosure, Greer cited the New York and D.C. bar rules for not identifying the clients. Greer’s senior adviser in the federal agency, Kwan Kim, previously worked as an international trade lawyer for Covington & Burling. From October 2020 to February 2025, Kim helped businesses win federal exemptions from steel and aluminum tariffs and defended companies accused by investigators of import-related crimes, according to a Covington biography that has since been taken down. Kim kept the names of 52 companies he represented secret , citing the D.C. Bar rules, the disclosure documents show. The U.S. Trade Representative office did not respond to ProPublica’s request for comment. When the names of former clients are withheld, it becomes virtually impossible for the public to know if an official’s actions in government benefit a former client. Kedric Payne, ethics director at the nonpartisan watchdog group Campaign Legal Center, said the lack of disclosure is concerning. “When you see these types of close connections between the regulated community and the new regulators, it raises a yellow flag,” Payne said. “Because these officials are walking an ethical tightrope where any meeting or communication with their former employer and client could become a serious conflict of interest.” ProPublica’s journalists have been gathering these records for more than a year. We obtained all of the disclosures that were available from the Office of Government Ethics. Those consist of the top appointees who require Senate confirmation. To get records for people working in lower-level positions, we made requests to individual federal agencies. Some didn’t respond or responded partially; records we requested for about 1,200 people weren’t provided. Still, ProPublica’s online tool is the most comprehensive public source of financial disclosures from across the executive branch. The post Documents Reveal a Web of Financial Ties Between Trump Officials and the Industries They Help Regulate appeared first on ProPublica .

See the full financial disclosures app at ProPublica.org . The post Explore Financial Disclosures From President Trump and 1,500 of His Appointees appeared first on ProPublica .

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem misled Congress on Tuesday about the powers of her controversial top aide Corey Lewandowski, according to records reviewed by ProPublica and four current and former DHS officials. Lewandowski has an unusual role at DHS, where he is not a paid government employee but is nonetheless acting as a top official, helping Noem run the sprawling agency. For months, members of Congress have asked the agency to detail the scope of his work and authority.  At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday , Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., asked Noem whether Lewandowski has “a role in approving contracts” at DHS. Noem responded with a flat denial: “No.” But internal DHS records reviewed by ProPublica contradict Noem’s Senate testimony. The records show Lewandowski personally approved a multimillion-dollar equipment contract at the agency last summer.  That was not a one-off. Lewandowski has approved numerous contracts at DHS and often needs to sign off on large ones before any money goes out the door, the current and former department employees said. Last year, Noem imposed a new policy that consolidated her and her top aides’ power over all spending at DHS, requiring that she personally review and approve all contracts above $100,000. Before the contracts reach Noem, they must be approved by a series of political appointees, who each sign or initial a checklist sometimes referred to internally as a routing sheet. Typically, the last name on the checklist before Noem’s is Lewandowski’s, the DHS officials said. Noem Denies That Lewandowski Has “a Role in Approving Contracts” at DHS Via C-Span Under federal law , it is a crime to “knowingly and willfully” make a false statement to Congress. But in practice, it is rarely prosecuted. In a statement, a DHS spokesperson reiterated Noem’s claim. “Mr. Lewandowski does NOT play a role in approving contracts,” the spokesperson said. “Mr. Lewandowski does not receive a salary or any federal government benefits. He volunteers his time to serve the American people.” Lewandowski did not respond to a request for comment.  Several news outlets , including Politico , have previously reported on aspects of Lewandowski’s involvement in contracting at DHS.  There have been widespread reports of delays caused by the new contract approval process at the agency, which has responsibilities spanning from immigration enforcement to disaster relief to airport security. DHS has asserted that the review process saved taxpayers billions of dollars.  A similar sign-off process exists for other policy decisions at DHS. One of the checklists, about rolling back protections for Haitians in the U.S., emerged in litigation last year. It featured the signatures of several top DHS advisers. Under them was Lewandowski’s signature, and then Noem’s. An internal Department of Homeland Security policy document from February 2025 shows agency officials, including top aide Corey Lewandowski and Noem — referred to as “S1,” signing off on a policy change. U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland Lewandowski is what’s known as a “special government employee,” a designation historically used to let experts serve in government for limited periods without having to give up their outside jobs. (At the beginning of the Trump administration, Elon Musk was one , too.) Special government employees have to abide by only some of the same ethics rules as normal officials and are permitted to have sources of outside income. Lewandowski has declined to disclose whether he is being paid by any outside companies and, if so, who. The post Kristi Noem Misled Congress About Top Aide’s Role in DHS Contracts appeared first on ProPublica .

A group of 24 US states will sue President Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday in the first legal challenge to his newly imposed 10 per cent global tariffs, alleging that the president cannot sidestep a recent US Supreme Court ruling that invalidated most of his previous tariffs on imported goods by citing new legal authority, according to ‌the states. The Democratic-led states, including New York, California and Oregon, argue the new tariffs, which Trump announced immediately after the...

One of the top ⁠officials overseeing Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi ⁠Noem, will leave her role, the US president said on Thursday, a major staffing move that raises questions about the direction of the Republican president’s immigration agenda. “I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected United States Senator from the Great State of Oklahoma, Markwayne Mullin, will become the United States Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), effective March 31,...

The US has asked Ukraine for help fending off Iranian drone attacks in the Middle East, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday, adding that he had ordered expert support to be given. During Russia’s four-year invasion, Kyiv has developed a range of cheap and effective drone interceptors – aerial craft designed to hit incoming attack drones mid-air – that it says are world-leading. Zelensky on Tuesday offered US allies in the Middle East a swap of some of their air defence...

Noem’s tenure was marked by killings of US citizens by federal agents, a rumored affair and $220m spent on ads US politics live – latest updates Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Donald Trump on Thursday announced he was replacing Kristi Noem as the homeland security secretary, capping weeks of bipartisan complaints about her leadership after immigration agents killed two US citizens and reports emerged that she was involved in a personal relationship with a top deputy. Noem’s firing was the first major personnel shakeup of Trump’s second term. The president made it public in a post on Truth Social, in which he said Markwayne Mullin, a Republican Oklahoma senator, would take over from Noem starting on 31 March – though Congress would need to vote to confirm the choice first. The secretary, who he said “has served us well, and has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border!)”, would become special envoy for “the Shield of the Americas”, a security initiative Trump said he planned to announce over the weekend. Continue reading...

Critics sceptical Pentagon chief’s plan for increased military force – amid rising US intervention – will stop drug gangs Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, has urged Latin American countries to adopt a more aggressive approach against drug cartels, warning that the Trump administration may otherwise act unilaterally in the region. Hegseth’s remarks come in a context of escalating US intervention in the region, both militarily and in elections , which culminated in the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro – the first US ground military attack on a South American country. Continue reading...

Lawmakers will ban use of 31 meat-related names as part of efforts to strengthen position of farmers in food supply markets EU lawmakers have agreed to ban meaty names such as steak and bacon for vegetarian and vegan foods, but “veggie burgers” and meat-free sausages will remain on the table. Negotiators from the European parliament and EU council of ministers found a recipe for compromise on rules for food names on Thursday, although critics said they were creating needless complexity. Continue reading...