Good morning. It’s Tuesday, February 18.

1. US-Russia Agreement

2. Appeals Court Blocks Biden Student Loan Bailout — Taxpayers Will Save $475 Billion

3. Gov Hochul Weighs Removing NYC Mayor Eric Adams

4. DOGE Finds $4.7 Trillion in Virtually Untraceable Treasury Payments

5. Bannon Calls Musk a ‘Parasitic Illegal Immigrant’

6. Pope Warns Confidants He May Not Survive Health Scare

7. Most Decorated Dog in US History Dies

1. US-Russia Agreement

The United States and Russia on Tuesday agreed to begin working toward ending the nearly three-year war in Ukraine.

Meeting in Riyadh, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov agreed:

• to restore embassies

• create a high-level team to support peace talks

• explore future economic cooperation.

Notably absent from the talks, however, were any Ukrainian officials, prompting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to reject any resulting deal and postpone his own visit to Saudi Arabia.

2. Appeals Court Blocks Biden Student Loan Bailout — Taxpayers Will Save $475 Billion

A federal appeals court has fully blocked the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan, a student debt relief initiative that former President Joe Biden authorized.

The Eighth US Circuit Court of Appeals found that Biden’s Education Department had exceeded its constitutional authority in creating the program, which critics argue amounted to a costly debt cancellation effort.

Republican attorneys general from seven states successfully challenged the policy, citing a projected taxpayer burden of approximately $475 billion.

The Biden administration had canceled around $183.6 billion before the plan was halted, and it remains unclear whether the new Trump-led Education Department will officially withdraw the measure.

3. Gov Hochul Weighs Removing NYC Mayor Eric Adams

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has raised the possibility of removing New York City Mayor Eric Adams from office after four of his deputy mayors abruptly resigned.

The departures come amidst turmoil over the Justice Department’s decision to drop Adams’ corruption case, contingent on his cooperation with President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Gov. Hochul, invoking rarely used constitutional powers, plans to meet with key leaders to discuss “serious questions about the long-term future” of Adams’ administration.

Meanwhile, calls for the mayor’s resignation have intensified from both city officials and federal representatives, adding to the mounting political and legal pressures surrounding the embattled mayor.

4. DOGE Finds $4.7 Trillion in Virtually Untraceable Treasury Payments

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by tech billionaire Elon Musk, revealed that the Treasury Department failed to enforce the Treasury Account Symbol (TAS) identification code on roughly $4.7 trillion in payments, leaving them “almost impossible” to track.

DOGE has now made TAS usage mandatory, claiming the measure will bring more transparency and reduce wasteful spending.

This comes amid ongoing legal battles that restrict DOGE’s access to certain Treasury systems and after DOGE announced a separate initiative to eliminate paper checks, which it says would save the federal government $750 million annually.

5. Bannon Escalates Feud with Musk:

'Parasitic Illegal Immigrant'

'Where the F*ck Are the DOGE Cuts?'

Steve Bannon, once a top strategist in President Donald Trump’s first White House term, has amplified his attacks on Elon Musk — the billionaire entrepreneur and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

In an explosive interview with UnHerd’s James Billot, Bannon labeled Musk a “parasitic illegal immigrant” and a “racist,” claiming he disrespects “the country’s history, values, or traditions.”

This latest broadside highlights a deepening feud within Trump’s political circle, where Bannon and other conservative critics view Musk’s growing influence as a threat to MAGA principles.

Meanwhile, Musk continues to oversee DOGE’s cost-cutting efforts, with sources indicating a new push to target the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the coming days.

6. Pope Warns Confidants He May Not Survive Health Scare

Pope Francis, 88, is in a perilous health situation after being hospitalized in Rome for severe bronchitis and a growing “polymicrobial infection.”

Despite his doctors’ orders forcing him to miss major appearances, the pontiff is rapidly finalizing appointments and reforms that reflect his progressive papacy.

Sources close to the Vatican say he fears this may be his final battle with illness. As the Catholic Church anxiously monitors Francis’ fragile condition, attention is turning toward the potential conclave that will select his successor and how his final decisions will shape the Church’s future.

7. Most Decorated Dog in US History Dies

K9 Hurricane, a 16-year-old Belgian Malinois widely recognized as the most decorated dog in U.S. history, has passed away.

A former Special Operations Canine with the U.S. Secret Service, Hurricane became famous for stopping a White House intruder in 2014 while then-President Obama and his family were inside.

He was medically retired in 2016 due to injuries sustained during that takedown. Hurricane’s handler, Marshall Mirarchi, shared that the beloved dog’s death leaves an irreplaceable void.

Tributes continue to pour in, highlighting Hurricane’s bravery and the ongoing work of the foundation created in his honor.

8. UPDATE: Pope Battling 'Complex and Clinical' Medical Condition

Will Remain in Hospital

Pope Francis’ respiratory infection is presenting a “complex clinical picture” that will require further hospitalization, the Vatican said Monday, as concerns grew about the increasingly frail health of the 88-year-old pontiff.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the results of tests conducted in recent days and Monday indicate the pope is suffering from a polymicrobial respiratory tract infection that has necessitated a second change in his drug therapy since being hospitalized Friday. Scientists say polymicrobial diseases are caused by a mix of viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites.

There was no timeframe given for his hospitalization, which at Day 4 has already sidelined Francis for longer than a 2023 hospitalization for pneumonia. Bruni said the complexity of his symptoms “will require an appropriate hospital stay.”