Links to THREE reports: from National Public Radio and Agence France-Presse; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (Scroll down for GAZA 2-18-26, and up or down for WEST BANK, IRAN, UKRAINE and MEDIA.) — MCM

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President Trump’s Board of Peace will meet today for the first time. Reported by Aya Batrawy and Michel Martin | NPR  As President Trump’s Board of Peace prepares to meet for the first time Thursday, he says the group has raised $5 billion for Gaza reconstruction. But key challenges remain. Click HERE later to listen and, still later, read.

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Head of Gaza technocrat committee in Washington for ‘Board of Peace’ meeting: officials. From AFP. The head of the Palestinian technocratic committee formed to handle day-to-day governance of Gaza, Ali Shaath, was in Washington today to attend the inaugural “Board of Peace” meeting, according to two Palestinian officials. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AFP report in French, and HERE for headlines of others.

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Can President Trump’s Board of Peace bring lasting peace to Gaza? Leila Fadel of NPR speaks with Middle East expert Aaron David Miller of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace about the prospect of lasting peace in Gaza. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Links to TWO reports: from National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (Scroll down for UKRAINE 2-18-26, and up or down for IRAN, GAZA and MEDIA.) — MCM

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Trump administration balances Ukraine talks and Russia deal prospects. Reported by Charles Maynes and Michel Martin | NPR  The U.S. concluded another round of talks to end the war in Ukraine as the White House pressured Ukraine while exploring potential business opportunities with Russia amid a reported economic proposal. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Russia expert discusses the role of investments in pursuit of peace. Leila Fadel of NPR talks with historian Sergey Radchenko about the role of investment in the pursuit of peace. Ukraine’s president says Russia offered the U.S. a $13 trillion economic proposal. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Links to SEVEN reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for MEDIA 2-18-26.  Scroll up for WEST BANK, IRAN, GAZA and UKRAINE.) — MCM

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FROM FEB. 18  Mark Zuckerberg quizzed on kids’ Instagram use in social media trial, by Kaitlyn Huamani and Barbar Ortutay | AP  LOS ANGELES — Mark Zuckerberg and opposing lawyers dueled on Wednesday in a Los Angeles courtroom where the Meta CEO answered questions about young people’s use of Instagram, his congressional testimony, and internal advice he’s received. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others. Click HERE for report from Reuters.  Click HERE to listen to today’s NPR report and, later, read it; and HERE for Feb. 18 NPR report.

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FROM FEB. 18  Two new children’s books capture the sights, sounds and community-building of Ramadan. Reported by Linah Mohammad, Ashley Brown and Ailsa Chang | NPR  As millions of Muslims begin observing Ramadan, Chang speaks with Aya Khalil and Nadine Presley, authors of two new children’s books about this holy month. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM FEB. 16  Trump administration ordered to restore George Washington slavery exhibit it removed in Philadelphia, by Hannah Schoenbaum | AP  PHILADELPHIA —  U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe ruled Monday that all materials must be restored in their original condition while a lawsuit challenging the removal’s legality plays out. She began her written order by quoting from George Orwell’s dystopian novel “1984” and compared the Trump administration to the book’s totalitarian regime whose Ministry of Truth revised historical records to align with its own narrative. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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FROM FEB. 18  In China, a meme is worth a thousand words. Reported by Ashish Valentine | NPR  As China celebrates the lunar new year, the year of the horse has taken on an uncanny association with Draco Malfoy of the Harry Potter series. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Links to SEVEN reports: from National Public Radio, Agence France-Presse, Reuters, the Associated Press, and Common Dreams; headlines of others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for MEDIA 2-16-26 and IRAN, UKRAINE, GAZA and VENEZUELA.) — MCM

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CBS in the spotlight as parent company pursues Warner Bros. Discovery deal. Reported by David Folkenflik and Michel Martin | NPR  As CBS’s parent company makes a final play for Warner Bros. Discovery, CBS faces scrutiny over claims it blocked a Stephen Colbert interview while Anderson Cooper stepped down from 60 Minutes. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Mark Zuckerberg arrives at Los Angeles court for socal media addiction trial. From AFP. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is set to testify today at a groundbreaking social media addiction trial, summoned by lawyers representing a plaintiff who alleges Instagram and other platforms were deliberately designed to make young users addicted. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AFP report in French, and HERE for headlines of others.  Click HERE for report from NPR.

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Americans believe Epstein files show the powerful get a pass, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds, by Jason Lange | Reuters  WASHINGTON — Americans believe that wealthy and powerful people are rarely held accountable, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found after the release of millions of records on the late sex offender Jeffrey ‌Epstein’s connections in elite U.S. business and political circles. READ MORE . . .

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Many Democrats are still down on the Democratic Party, a new AP-NORC poll finds, by Linley Sanders | AP  WASHINGTON — Democratic candidates have notched a series of wins in recent special elections — but a new AP-NORC poll finds views of the Democratic Party among rank-and-file Democrats . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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FROM FEB. 17  Big Tech faces more probes over AI-generated child sexual abuse material, by Brad Reed | Common Dreams   Ireland’s Data Protection Commission announced on Tuesday it was invoking the European Union’s data privacy regulations to open an investigation into Grok, the AI chatbot featured on Elon Musk’s X platform. READ MORE . . .

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The last newspaper hawker in Paris honored with knighthood. Reported by Rebecca Rosman | NPR  Ali Akbar, a 73-year-old immigrant from Pakistan, has been hawking papers on the streets of Paris for the last 50 years. French President Emmanuel Macron honored him with a knighthood late last month. Click HERE to listen and read.

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A link to a report from Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (Scroll down for IRAN 2-17-26, and up or down for MEDIA, UKRAINE, GAZA and VENEZUELA.) — MCM

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Iranians dance through tears as they mourn slain protesters. From Middle East Eye. In the days leading up to the 40th day after the mass killing of protesters on Jan. 8 and 9, state media reported the government would hold a commemoration ceremony, a sign that the killings of thousands of demonstrators couldn’t just be swept under the carpet. READ MORE . . .

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A link to a report from the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (Scroll down for UKRAINE 2-17-26, and up or down for IRAN, MEDIA, GAZA and VENEZUELA.) — MCM

NOTE: Again, other perspectives are at the Moscow Times (based in Belgium); Kyiv Post and the Kyiv Independent (both operating under martial law); and Tass (a Russian state news service). Each is a click away. Time no longer permits regular inclusion of links to their content.

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Envoys signal no breakthrough on bridging Russia and Ukraine’s political and military differences, by Jamey Keaten and Illia Novikov | AP  GENEVA — The latest U.S.-brokered talks between envoys from Moscow and Kyiv over Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine ended today with no sign of a breakthrough and with both sides saying the talks were “difficult,” as the war’s fourth anniversary approaches next week. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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Links to THREE reports: from the Associated Press and Common Dreams; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for GAZA 2-17-26, and up or down for MEDIA, IRAN, UKRAINE, and VENEZUELA.) — MCM

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Trump wants his Board of Peace to solve world conflicts. It still has a lot of work to do in Gaza, by Sam Metz and Samy Magdy | AP  JERUSALEM — U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace is set to meet for the first time on Thursday in Washington. Palestinians, including many civilians, are still being killed in near-daily strikes in Gaza that Israel says are aimed at militants who threaten or attack its forces. READ MORE . . .

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UN Security Council to hold high-level meeting on Gaza before Trump’s Board of Peace convenes, by Farnoush Amiri and Edith M. Lederer | AP  UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. Security Council is set to hold a high-level meeting today on the Gaza ceasefire deal and Israel’s efforts to expand control in the West Bank before world leaders head to Washington to discuss the future of the Palestinian territories at the first gathering of President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace. READ MORE . . .

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Candidates sound alarm on stealth AIPAC meddling in Illinois, by Jake Johnson | Common Dreams  Progressive congressional candidates in Illinois sounded the alarm Tuesday over efforts by the pro-Israel lobbying organization AIPAC to influence congressional races in the state using methods that appear designed to conceal its role. READ MORE . . .

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Links to three reports: from the Associated Press and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (Scroll down for VENEZUELA 2-15-26.  Scroll up for MEDIA, IRAN, UKRAINE, and GAZA.) — MCM

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FROM FEB. 17  Strikes on 3 more alleged drug boats kill 11 people, U.S. military says, by Ben Finley and Konstantin Toropin | AP  WASHINGTON — The U.S. military said Tuesday that it carried out strikes on three boats accused of smuggling drugs in Latin American waters, killing 11 people in one of the deadliest days of the Trump administration’s monthslong campaign against alleged traffickers. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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FROM FEB. 4  What U.S. history with Iraq’s oil can tell us about what could happen in Venezuela. Reported by Julia Simon | NPR  Since the U.S. ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro last month, oil analysts have been remembering the U.S. removal of another foreign leader more than twenty years ago. In 2003, the U.S. removed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and occupied the country until 2011. Click HERE for report including graph.

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FROM FEB. 17  Venezuela’s oil revival brings hope — but little relief for workers. Reported by Manuel Rueda | NPR  As U.S. sanctions ease and oil money begins to trickle back after Nicolás Maduro’s removal, Venezuelans weigh hopes for recovery against the harsh reality of surviving on wages that barely cover food. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Links to SIX reports: from Agence France-Presse, the Cradle, the Associated Press, China Global Television Network, Kuwait News Agency, and National Public Radio; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for GAZA 2-16-26 and WEST BANK, IRAN and UKRAINE.) — MCM

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Hamas says Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ must compel Israel to stop Gaza truce violations. From AFP. GAZA — Hamas said today that U.S. President Donald Trump’s newly formed “Board of Peace” should pressure Israel to halt its ongoing violations of the Gaza ceasefire. READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for same AFP report in French, and HERE for headlines of others.

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FROM FEB. 16  African Union backs full UN membership for Palestine. From the Cradle. The African Union issued a landmark declaration during its 39th summit on Feb. 15, calling for Palestine to be granted full UN membership and rejecting forced displacement of Palestinians as a “violation of international law.” READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for Feb. 14 report from AP.  Click HERE and HERE for reports from CGTN and KUNA.

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A look at how the Trump administration is approaching Iran, Ukraine and Gaza. Steve Inskeep of NPR talks with Kori Schake of the American Enterprise Institute about how the Trump administration’s approach to Iran, Ukraine and Gaza aligns with national security. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Links to FIVE reports: from the Cradle and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for WEST BANK 2-16-26, and up or down for GAZA, IRAN and UKRAINE.) — MCM

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FROM FEB. 16  Israel’s new West Bank registration process declares Palestinian land ‘state property.’ From the Cradle. The Israeli government has approved a land registration process, which will allow Israel to claim territory in the occupied West Bank as “state property” if Palestinians cannot prove ownership, a move that has been described as “de facto annexation.” READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 16  African Union backs full UN membership for Palestine. From the Cradle. The African Union issued a landmark declaration during its 39th summit on Feb. 15, calling for Palestine to be granted full UN membership and rejecting forced displacement of Palestinians as a “violation of international law.” READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for Feb. 14 report from AP.  Click HERE and HERE for reports from CGTN and KUNA.

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