Wednesday morning news: February 26, 2025

House budget » House Republicans last night narrowly passed a budget blueprint … a crucial step toward delivering on President Trump’s agenda.

AUDIO (House budget vote): The ayes are 2017. The nays are 215. The majority voting in the affirmative, the current resolution is adopted.

It’s a big win for House Speaker Mike Johnson, but he explains that this is not the final step.

JOHNSON:  This resolution itself contains no policies. It is a framework only, and it's the product of months and months of work.

But there’s more work left to do to pass what President Trump has called his one “big, beautiful bill.” It would address his national and border security priorities … and extend trillions in tax cuts … while also cutting spending.

Last night’s vote kicks off what figures to be a weeks-long process … to hammer out the details … and then merge it with the Senate's package.

Ukraine mineral rights » deal The United States and Ukraine have agreed to the framework of a large economic deal to include U.S. access to rare earth minerals in Ukraine.

TRUMP: So what we're doing is now we're saying, look, we want to be secured. We want to get that money back.

It’s an agreement that could go a long way to help repair a rift between President Trump and Ukraine’s president.

And President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could meet with Trump in Washington this week to sign the deal.

TRUMP:  I hear that he's coming on Friday, certainly it's okay with me if he'd like to and he would like to sign it together with me.

Zelenskyy had pushed for security guarantees as part of a deal for mineral rights and other resources but it’s unclear if any such assurances will be in the agreement.

Starmer: UK to increase defense spending » British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is announcing an increase in defense spending ahead of a meeting tomorrow at the White House with President Trump. Starmer suggested that he sees a changing security landscape in light of U.S. talks with Russia to end the Ukraine war.

STARMER:  As the nature of that conflict changes, as it has in recent weeks, it brings our response into sharper focus. A new era that we must meet, as we have so often in the past, together and with strength.

The United Kingdom currently spends 2.3% of gross domestic product on defense.

President Trump has complained that the U.S. provides security to European countries that don’t pull their weight. And he’s been pressing European leaders to step up their defense spending.

White House shakes up press access » A big shakeup in the White House press briefing room. Press Secretary Karline Leavitt:

LEAVITT: I am proud to announce that we are going to give the power back to the people who read your papers, who watch your television shows, and who listen to your radio stations.

For decades, the White House Correspondents' Association — or WHCA — has largely decided which members of the media are invited to cover White House events or travel aboard Air Force One. But Leavitt says …

LEAVITT: Moving forward, the White House press pool will be determined by the White House press team.

The WHCA has long been an exclusive group of mostly legacy media power players. The group’s current president is MSNBC senior political analyst Eugene Daniels.

Leavitt says legacy news outlets will still be invited, but the administration will open more access to less traditional, new media outlets and reporters.

Israel latest » Former Hamas hostage Noa Argamani spoke out Tuesday about her experience.

She told world leaders at United Nations headquarters that she was held in unimaginable conditions

ARGAMANI: I was injured and needed medical help. But of course, I got nothing - no doctors, no Red Cross, nothing.

The Israeli military rescued her last summer.

She went on to beg leaders to do everything possible to see that the current ceasefire is extended.

ARGAMANI: The deal must go on in full and completely in all the stages. My partner, Avinatan Or, and many other hostages are only supposed to be released in the second stage of the deal.

Phase One of the ceasefire is set to expire this weekend.

SCOTUS declines buffer-zone cases » The U.S. Supreme Court is refusing to hear cases challenging so-called buffer zones around abortion facilities. WORLD’s TK has more.

KRISTEN FLAVIN: The court declined two lawsuits from pro-life plaintiffs claiming local regulations in Illinois and New Jersey violate their First Amendment rights. Those regulations set perimeters around abortion facilities, restricting protests, prayers, or counseling.

The high court’s decision lets those perimeters stand.

Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented, with Thomas arguing a 25-year-old precedent allowing the so-called buffer zones should be overturned. For WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: U.S. conservatives wrestle with “America First” priorities while also standing up to totalitarianism around the world.

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