Sen. Tom Cotton is trying to slow or even stop the confirmation of former Defense official Elbridge Colby to serve as the under secretary of defense for policy. It’s a key Defense post that remains unmanned amid the ongoing confirmation process.

“Senator Cotton is focused on ensuring all defense nominees commit to supporting President Trump’s position that Iran must not have a nuclear weapon, and Cotton will be addressing this in meetings and hearings with the nominees,” a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital.

Colby has previously suggested that stopping Iran from getting a nuclear weapon would be more difficult than simply living with the circumstance. Cotton, a NeoCon, is vehemently opposed to Iran or any other nation acquiring nuclear capabilities.

He is working behind the scenes to prevent Colby from being confirmed.

Trump’s Choice

Sources familiar with Cotton’s stance say he’s trying to make sure the Pentagon is staffed by people who align with President Trump’s stance on Iran and other nations. But that’s not his call. If President Trump trusts Colby to do the job, then Cotton is not doing him any favors by blocking his selection.

Moreover, Colby’s role, while important, does not set policy. It is an advisory position with decisions about stopping Iran’s nuclear development falling on Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and ultimately on President Trump himself. The administration isn’t looking for 100% agreement amongst its staff. It’s looking for honesty and loyalty, both of which have been exemplified by Colby in the past.

Lest we forget, Colby was one of the few military minds in Washington DC who opposed the Iraq War, just as then-private-citizen Trump did. It’s not up to Senator Cotton to decide if Colby’s ideology is aligned with his own. The only questions he needs to answer in his role of advising and consenting is whether or not Colby is qualified and if he’s a national security threat.

He’s definitely qualified and he does not pose a national security threat. Get him confirmed, Senator.

On Monday, a senior Kremlin official warned that NATO must halt its military support for Ukraine and withdraw forces from regions Russia claims as its own, or face unspecified consequences. The demands come as representatives from multiple nations gather in Riyadh for talks aimed at ending the war that has destabilized Eastern Europe for nearly three years.

According to Fox News:

Russia’s foreign ministry issued several ultimatums as the talks began early Tuesday morning. Russian officials noted that Ukrainian membership in NATO is unacceptable, and they said a simple refusal by NATO to allow Ukraine to join is not a sufficient protection. Instead, Russian officials said NATO must disavow promises of Ukrainian membership in NATO made during a 2008 summit in Bucharest.

The groups, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, are seeking terms for a peace agreement in Ukraine as well as negotiating a potential meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov emphasized Moscow’s position, stating that any resolution must recognize Russia’s territorial gains since the invasion began in February 2022.

“The so-called support from the West must cease, and NATO’s presence near our borders must be rolled back,” Ryabkov said in an interview with state media. He further accused the alliance of prolonging the conflict by arming Kyiv and training Ukrainian troops.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s leadership has rejected Russia’s preconditions, arguing that ceding territory would reward aggression. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, speaking ahead of the Saudi-hosted negotiations, insisted that peace must be based on international law and Ukraine’s sovereignty. “Russia cannot dictate terms while occupying our land,” Kuleba said.

The Riyadh talks, brokered by Saudi Arabia, mark a rare attempt to bring the warring sides and their backers to the table. Saudi officials have positioned themselves as neutral mediators, leveraging their diplomatic ties with both Moscow and Western capitals. Sources familiar with the discussions say the agenda includes a potential ceasefire, prisoner exchanges, and humanitarian aid corridors—though optimism remains cautious given the entrenched positions of both sides.

The timing of Russia’s ultimatums has drawn scrutiny. Analysts suggest the Kremlin may be seeking to strengthen its leverage before serious bargaining begins.

“This is classic posturing,” said Elena Petrova, a geopolitical expert at the Moscow Institute of International Relations. “Russia wants to frame any concessions as victories.”

On the ground, fighting continues unabated. Ukraine reported heavy shelling in the eastern Donetsk region, while Russian forces claimed to have repelled a Ukrainian counteroffensive near Kharkiv. The war’s toll—tens of thousands dead and millions displaced—underscores the urgency of the Saudi initiative.

The United States and its NATO allies have dismissed Russia’s demands as unrealistic. A State Department spokesperson reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to Ukraine, calling the Kremlin’s rhetoric “a distraction from its battlefield setbacks.” European leaders echoed this stance, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledging additional aid to Kyiv during a summit in Brussels.

As the Riyadh talks unfold, the world watches to see if Saudi Arabia’s mediation can bridge the gaping divide—or if Russia’s latest threats will derail yet another push for peace.

Article generated from legacy media reports.

Humberto Garcia Rodriguez was sitting in the lobby at a Bank of Montreal (BMO) in Albuquerque, when he witnessed a man walk in and push a woman out of the way to talk to the teller, according to a report by KOB 4.

The man, later identified as John Martin, had just robbed the same bank a month earlier, according to court documents.

Police said Martin mimed a gun at the teller and demanded cash. Meanwhile, Rodriguez decided to take action.

Video footage shows Rodriguez getting behind Martin and tackling him before he could make his getaway. As the scuffle commenced, a total of $2,422 in cash went flying into the air, scattering at the men’s feet. […]

— Read More: www.breitbart.com

The primary suspect, Jack LaSota, 34, was taken into custody on Sunday along with Michelle Zajko, 33, a resident of Media, Pennsylvania. Both face multiple charges, including trespassing and possession of a firearm in a vehicle.

The arrests come amidst an ongoing multi-state investigation into a series of violent incidents linked to the Zizians. The group is suspected of being tied to six homicides across Vermont, Pennsylvania, and California, including the killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent.

The slain agent, identified as David Maland, 44, lost his life in a shooting following a routine traffic stop on Jan. 20 near the Canadian border in Coventry, Vermont, authorities stated.

According to Associated Press research, including interviews and examination of court documents and online posts, the Zizians appear to be a group primarily composed of young, highly educated computer scientists in their 20s and 30s. Group members, who reportedly met online, share anarchist ideologies and have allegedly become increasingly violent.

The group’s objectives remain unclear, but their online writings cover a wide range of topics, from radical veganism and gender identity to artificial intelligence.

LaSota, who uses she/her pronouns and identifies as a transgender woman, maintained a blog under the name Ziz, which is a nickname believed to belong to the leader of the group. In one section of the blog, LaSota described a theory that “the two hemispheres of the brain could hold separate values and genders and ‘often desire to kill each other.’”

The blog also contained criticism of what LaSota referred to as “rationalist groups,” which mostly consist of online communities focused on understanding human cognition through reason and knowledge. Some of these groups discuss concerns about potential dangers associated with artificial intelligence.

Prior to the recent arrest, LaSota had missed court appearances in two states, resulting in bench warrants.

Daniel McGarrigle, identified as LaSota’s attorney, declined to comment on any potential connection between his client and the reported deaths. Following the weekend arrest, McGarrigle would only confirm his previous representation of Lasota and refused to provide any details about the current case.

A bail hearing for LaSota and Zajko is scheduled for Tuesday at 11 a.m. in Allegany District Court, according to court records.

OPPOSING TRUMP’S DEPORTATIONS.

Bianco, who has served as sheriff since 2019, has paid lip service in opposition to California’s sanctuary state policies. In a 2023 Fox 11 interview, he stated that he would work around Senate Bill 54, which stymies law enforcement from engaging in deportations. However, on February 7, 2025, Bianco released a video addressing concerns about immigration enforcement, in which he stated that his deputies “have not, are not and will not engage in any type of immigration enforcement.”

He claimed this responsibility lies solely with federal authorities, and criticized what he described as “misinformation” regarding his department’s role in such operations. This statement came as agencies directed by President Trump reported a sharp rise in arrests in California.

BLACK LIVES MATTER.

On June 1, 2020, at the height of nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd, Bianco joined demonstrators in Riverside and kneeled in an act of solidarity. During the protest, he stated, “This is a huge divide, and the leaders of this have to work with us to make a difference. And if this is what starts it, then this is what starts it.” Later that evening, after a curfew was enacted at 6 PM, incidents of looting and property damage occurred in downtown Riverside, prompting law enforcement to declare an unlawful assembly. Businesses in the area sustained damage, and police dispersed a remaining group of demonstrators using crowd control measures. […]

— Read More: thenationalpulse.com

The State Department has downplayed it as a “routine” update to its online fact sheet on American relations with Taiwan. The change happened last week, but has now triggered a strong rebuke from Beijing, which fears Washington is changing its official long-running policy of not officially endorsing effots toward Taiwan political independence and sovereignty.

The fact sheet still displays a US commitment to ‘One China’ – but still the Chinese Foreign Ministry has on Monday called on the Trump administration to “immediately correct its mistakes” over the removal of the line.

The statement from Beijing warned of “further serious damage” to China-US relations amid a return of Trump’s ‘America First’ policy.

“The US State Department’s revision of the list of facts regarding US-Taiwan relations represents a serious regression in its stance on Taiwan…(and) sends a seriously erroneous message to the separatist forces advocating for Taiwan independence,” ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said in a briefing.

“This is further evidence of the US stubbornly adhering to the erroneous policy of using Taiwan to contain China. We urge the US to immediately correct its mistakes,” Guo added, and emphasized Trump must handle the Taiwan issue with “utmost caution.”

As for the updated State Dept. page, it states that “We continue to have an abiding interest in peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. We oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side.”

“We expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, free from coercion, in a manner acceptable to the people on both sides of the strait.”

But again, Beijing is saying this marks a “serious regression” even as the US administration shrugs off the change. Yet in recent history, even the slightest changes or updates in policy seen as anti-China typically results in swift rebuke from Beijing.

The prior version of the fact sheet was more robust in distancing the US from an open policy of encouraging the independence of Taiwan from China.

The fact sheet just as of less than a week ago said the US opposed “any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side; we do not support Taiwan independence; and we expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means.”

Rubio’s State Department has changed the content of its fact-sheet on Taiwan from the previous administration:

While still opposing "any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side," it has dropped the phrase "we don’t support Taiwan independence”

pic.twitter.com/8LNaXNx0fR

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) February 16, 2025

China’s PLA military has been once again ramping up flights and drills around the self-ruled island. For example, on Sunday 24 Chinese military aircraft flew near the island, also as a Canadian warship passed through the contested Taiwan Strait. PLA drones were also spotted conducting “joint combat readiness patrols” with military vessels around Taiwan, which the Taiwanese defense ministry confirmed. Last week, the US sent a pair of warships through the strait for the first time of the new Trump administration.

Chutkan declined to immediately issue an order on Monday; however, she said she would try to rule within 24 hours.

Blue states such as Arizona, Michigan, Rhode Island, New Mexico, California, Massachusetts, and others filed a lawsuit arguing President Trump violated the Appointments Clause of the Constitution when he created DOGE and gave Elon Musk ‘unchecked power.’

The attorneys general argued that since Elon Musk is not senate confirmed, he should be barred from issuing orders to anyone inside of the executive branch.

They argued that the Trump Admin’s creation of DOGE with Elon Musk at the helm violates the Appointments Clause of the Constitution. […]

— Read More: www.thegatewaypundit.com

The grants had been awarded to teacher preparation programs that trained future educators in what the department said were “inappropriate and unnecessary topics,” such as critical race theory, which promotes the fundamental framework view that racism is embedded in all institutions and aspects of society; diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); and social justice activism. Some of the defunded programs also included race-based teacher recruitment and staffing strategies, according to the department.

The department provided examples of the defunded training programs, including those that required educators to acknowledge “systemic inequities” like racism and “critically reassess” their own teaching practices. Others offered professional development workshops on “Building Cultural Competence,” “Dismantling Racial Bias,” and “Centering Equity in the Classroom.”

Some initiatives guided teachers to “interrupt racial marginalization and oppression of students.” There were also programs promoting an “abolitionist pedagogy” which, according to Bettina L. Love, the professor who coined the term, applies a “critical race lens” to classrooms and encourages teachers to organize marches and boycotts against their colleagues perceived as “racist, homophobic, or Islamophobic.”

The decision to cut these grants aligns with the broader cost-cutting measures led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an advisory body led by Elon Musk, and with President Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to dismantle DEI initiatives across the federal government.

Trump on Jan. 21 signed an executive order directing government educational institutions to end all DEI efforts.

“Illegal DEI and DEIA policies not only violate the text and spirit of our longstanding Federal civil-rights laws, they also undermine our national unity, as they deny, discredit, and undermine the traditional American values of hard work, excellence, and individual achievement in favor of an unlawful, corrosive, and pernicious identity-based spoils system,” the order read. “The Federal Government is charged with enforcing our civil-rights laws. The purpose of this order is to ensure that it does so by ending illegal preferences and discrimination.”

A study by Parents Defending Education, an independent organization that rallies against ideological indoctrinations in K-12 schools, found that since 2021, the Education Department has spent at least $1 billion on various DEI-related initiatives. That includes approximately $490 million on DEI hiring efforts, $343 million on DEI programming, and $170 million on DEI-related mental health programs.

Over the weekend, the Education Department reaffirmed its stance that DEI initiatives conflict with federal non-discrimination laws. Its civil rights enforcement division warned that failure to ensure compliance could result in a loss of federal funding.

“The law is clear: treating students differently on the basis of race to achieve nebulous goals such as diversity, racial balancing, social justice, or equity is illegal under controlling Supreme Court precedent,” Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights, wrote in a letter sent to the education departments in all 50 states.

While emphasizing the obligations under Title VI, the federal law prohibiting discrimination based on race for institutions that receive federal dollars, the letter also referenced the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision, which found it unconstitutional for public and private colleges to use racial preferences in admissions.

“At its core, the test is simple: If an educational institution treats a person of one race differently than it treats another person because of that person’s race, the educational institution violates the law,” the letter said.

Over the weekend, the Education Department reaffirmed its stance that DEI initiatives conflict with federal non-discrimination laws. Its civil rights enforcement division warned that failure to ensure compliance could result in a loss of federal funding.

The Colorado House is scheduled to hold a hearing on Feb. 25 examining legislation that would make it a crime not to abide by the chosen “gender identity” of deceased individuals on their death certificates. Medical experts expressed alarm at the attempt to erase biological reality from crucial state-issued documents.

“It’s dangerous and absolutely nuts to threaten doctors with a misdemeanor if they won’t forge a death certificate. But it’s what I’d expect in Colorado,” Dr. Travis Morrell, a Colorado physician and senior fellow with the conservative-leaning medical group Do No Harm, told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

“The first thing you learn in middle school science is to write in your lab book with a pen; honest data recording is science 101,” Morrell added.

Apparently modifying birth certificates to replace a person’s “sex” with “gender identity” wasn’t enough.

Now activists are worried about misgendering the DEAD, and 3 CO Dems have introduced a bill requiring death certificates to reflect a deceased person’s “gender identity.” pic.twitter.com/4Q84pf1YnL

— Colin Wright (@SwipeWright) February 13, 2025

Colorado law currently authorizes “qualified individuals” such as coroners, medical examiners and forensic pathologists to create death certificates. The proposed bill, sponsored by Democratic Colorado state Reps. Karen McCormick and Kyle Brown alongside Democratic Colorado state Sen. Mike Weissman, would require the document to “reflect the decedent’s gender identity.” […]

— Read More: dailycaller.com

(Zero Hedge)—After two weeks of US Air Force RC-135V/W Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft conducting multiple signals intelligence (SIGINT) operations along the US-Mexico border and in international waters off southern Baja California—areas controlled by heavily armed drug cartels—the Mexican Senate Commission has approved the deployment of US Special Forces operators to the country for “training missions.”

SOFREP’s Guy D. McCardle reports that the Mexican Senate Commission has already approved the US Army’s 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Green Berets to conduct training exercises at a naval facility in Campeche, a Mexican port city on the Gulf of America.

As of Monday, the exercise is underway and will last through the end of March in conjunction with the Mexican Navy’s Infantería de Marina.

The training will take place at the Luis Carpizo naval facility in Campeche from February 17 to March 30, 2025. It has been officially approved by the Mexican Senate’s Naval Ministry Commission and will be conducted under the supervision of the Mexican Defense Ministry (SEDENA). This ensures that while the training benefits from US military expertise, it remains aligned with Mexico’s national defense priorities. -SOFREP

“It’s important to say the Green Berets’ role is going to be just that: Training,” Scott Stewart, vice president of intelligence for international security consultant TorchStone Global, told NewsNation, adding, “It’s not like they’re sending in the SEALs, the Delta (Force) or the (Army) Rangers. It’s not like we are seeing the deployment of combat troops or combat aircraft.”

LFG https://t.co/2WvCeOCau9

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 17, 2025

Stewart suggested that the Mexican government likely permitted the USAF spy planes near cartel-controlled areas to collect SIGINT for law enforcement agencies.

“That may be an attempt to increase signals intelligence – that plane is a vacuum, it sucks up all communications – but I think it would be intelligence to pass to the Mexican marines and not necessarily in preparation for a US airstrike or something,” he noted.

As we previously reported:

• USAF Spy Plane Runs SIGINT Operation Near Cabo As US Preps For Potential Cartel Fight
• USAF Spy Jet Flies Second SIGINT Operation On US Border With Focus On Narco Hub
• Border Czar “Expects” Kinetic Warfare Between US Troops & Mexican Drug Cartels

Beyond training, this partnership comes as President Trump recently designated Mexican cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations.”

When reporters asked Trump earlier this month whether he would consider deploying Special Forces operators to Mexico, he responded, “Could happen” and added, “Stranger things have happened.”

ABC News asked Trump administration Border Czar Tom Homan a few weeks ago whether the US military could get involved if cartels strike. Homan replied, “Yes, and we expect them to,” adding that US troops “need to protect themselves.”

Pres. Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan says the U.S. military could get involved in a conflict with the Mexican cartels.

“I think the cartels would be foolish to take on the military,” Homan said.https://t.co/2MHah30Ivj pic.twitter.com/Fi8ogjEfjM

— ABC News (@ABC) February 6, 2025

At the start of the month, in what appeared to be the shortest trade war in history, Mexico and Canada each committed 10,000 troops to their respective borders, while the US reinforced its southern border with thousands of soldiers in the last three weeks.

Last month, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had some strong words for drug cartels.

BREAKING: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth just confirmed that the United States could now conduct special operations against Mexican cartels now that President Trump has declared them foreign terrorist organizations.

“All options will be on the table.” pic.twitter.com/UhCvRaGRvJ

— George (@BehizyTweets) January 31, 2025

As we’ve previously noted:

Dismantling Mexican drug cartels could be a very messy operation, which is why the Trump administration fortified the border with the military. The challenge, however, is that if US Special Forces operators kill cartel leaders, retaliatory attacks by cartel members could occur at Mexican beach resorts or, worse, on the streets of US cities. 

This move could mark the beginning of a broader deployment of US Special Forces in Mexico, aimed at dismantling drug cartels responsible for the drug death catastrophe of 100,000 Americans per year. Beyond military action, there is also the possibility that the Trump administration could launch financial hybrid warfare—applying pressure on Mexican banks to disrupt cartel operations. Additionally, Beijing may soon face more pressure from Trump in its role in subsidizing fentanyl precursor exports to Mexico.

This is what ‘America First’ looks like.