The Pentagon asked two major defense contractors on Wednesday to provide an assessment of their reliance on Anthropic's AI model, Claude — a first step toward a potential designation of Anthropic as a "supply chain risk," Axios has learned.
Why it matters: That penalty is usually reserved for companies from adversarial countries, such as Chinese tech giant Huawei.
President Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky he wants to push for an end of the war with Russia as soon as possible, according to a Ukrainian official and two other sources with knowledge of the call.
Why it matters: Trump wants a peace deal by the summer, but there are still significant gaps between Ukraine and Russia, particularly on the issue of territorial control in eastern Ukraine.
White House envoy Steve Witkoff told a private gathering on Tuesday that the Trump administration is demanding that Iran agree any future nuclear deal will remain in effect indefinitely, according to a U.S. official and two other sources with knowledge of his remarks.
Why it matters: President Trump and other critics of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama administration seized on the "sunset provisions" as one of its main flaws.
The U.S. Navy's Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier left Virginia in June. It has since traveled to the Mediterranean and the Caribbean and is now arriving in the greater Middle East as President Trump threatens to pummel Iran.
Why it matters: The world's largest warship has been deployed for some eight months. That raises maintenance and morale concerns.
Should it stay out until mid-April, it will break a post-Vietnam record, according to USNI News and its internal database.
Why it matters: A defiant Trump bragged, weaved, smiled and sparred his way through 108 minutes of prime-time television, projecting his vision of a "Golden Age" for a country that — according to recent polls — mostly isn't buying it.
Canada's first-ever defense-industrial strategy, published this month, suggests it, like Europe, can no longer count on the U.S. to be a security backstop, economically or militarily.
"Long-held assumptions have been upended — about the end of imperial conquest, the durability of peace in Europe, and the resilience of old alliances," the plan reads.
"In this uncertain world, it is more important than ever that Canada possess the capacity to sustain its own defense and safeguard its own sovereignty."
Why it matters: It's a major break for Canada, which has not taken President Trump's 51st state remarks lightly.
OpenAI has banned a ChatGPT account linked to Chinese law enforcement which tried to use the AI chatbot to undermine support for Japan's prime minister, the company said in a report Wednesday.
Why it matters: The operation was unusual and "revealed a lot about China's strategy for covert influence operations and transnational repression," Ben Nimmo, principal investigator on OpenAI's intelligence and investigations team, told reporters.
President Trump hailed the U.S. intelligence-assisted security operation in Mexico that killed the drug lord known as "El Mencho" during his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, saying: "We've ... taken down one of the most sinister cartel kingpins."
The big picture: Officials working to combat drug trafficking have had a successful week, with prosecutors in Florida announcing charges against a suspected leader of another terrorist-designated Mexican cartel.
The big picture: The speech took place with quite a few members of Congress missing — though that didn't stop several Democrats from shouting their objections or heckling the president during his 108-minute-long speech.
President Trump said in his State of the Union speech on Tuesday that he prefers a diplomatic solution to the crisis with Iran, but at the same time laid out a case for a potential war against the Islamic Republic.
Why it matters: Trump's remarks about Iran were relatively short and were not the center part of his speech, but it was the first time he detailed the reasons that led him to consider launching a military campaign.
President Trump during the State of the Union on Tuesday revealed he is awarding Connor Hellebuyck, the Team USA goalie who helped the men's Olympic hockey team win gold at the 2026 games, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Why it matters: The award is considered the U.S. government's highest civilian honor and is usually presented to recognize a lifetime of significant achievements in the arts, public service, science, or other fields, per the Library of Congress.
