February 18, 2026 – US Headlines

1Trump Hails Japan’s First Batch of U.S. Investments

Story gist: The United States and Japan announced $36 billion in oil, gas, and critical minerals projects. These represent the first investments under a trade deal associated with the Trump administration.
Left
US and Japan unveil $36bn of oil, gas and critical minerals projects in challenge to China
— The Guardian
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Center
US and Japan unveil first mega-projects under $550bn trade deal
— Financial Times
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Right
Japan Plans $36 Billion in U.S. Investments Under Trump Administration Deal
— The Wall Street Journal
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Bias summary: Left-leaning Guardian frames the $36bn projects as a challenge to China, emphasizing geopolitical rivalry. Center Financial Times describes them neutrally as first mega-projects under a $550bn trade deal, focusing on economic scale. Right-leaning Wall Street Journal highlights Japan’s investments in the US under the Trump administration deal, crediting Trump positively. No major omissions across lanes.

2DHS spokeswoman who became a face of Trump deportation campaign steps down

Story gist: A top DHS spokeswoman, who became a prominent figure in the Trump administration’s deportation campaign, has stepped down from her role.
Left
Top DHS spokesperson to exit role amid growing outrage over Trump’s ICE raids
— The Guardian
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Center
No major center-leaning outlet from our monitored sources covered this story
Right
No major right-leaning outlet from our monitored sources covered this story
Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets like The Guardian frame the exit as occurring ‘amid growing outrage over Trump’s ICE raids,’ emphasizing public backlash against deportation policies with a critical tone toward the administration. Center- and right-leaning coverage is absent, omitting neutral factual reporting or positive spins on enforcement efforts and personnel changes.

3Trump Bets on Diplomacy Without Diplomats

Story gist: The Trump administration pursues diplomacy amid unfilled US diplomatic positions at the State Department. Reports describe diplomatic workload overload at crisis levels.
Left
Trump Bets on Diplomacy Without Diplomats
— The New York Times
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Center
US diplomatic overload is at crisis levels
— The Hill
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Right
No major right-leaning outlet from our monitored sources covered this story
Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets like The New York Times frame the story critically toward Trump, using ‘Trump Bets on Diplomacy Without Diplomats’ to emphasize personal risk and blame. Center outlets like The Hill report factually on ‘US diplomatic overload at crisis levels,’ focusing on systemic issues without partisanship. Right-leaning outlets offer no coverage, absenting defenses of administration staffing choices or minimization of the crisis.

4Exclusive / Palantir partnership is at heart of Anthropic, Pentagon rift

Story gist: The Pentagon used Anthropic’s AI model Claude in a raid in Venezuela targeting the Maduro regime. A rift between Anthropic and the Pentagon centers on a Palantir partnership.
Left
US military used Anthropic’s AI model Claude in Venezuela raid, report says
— The Guardian
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Center
Exclusive: Pentagon warns Anthropic will “pay a price” as feud escalates
— Axios
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Right
Exclusive | Pentagon Used Anthropic’s Claude in Maduro Venezuela Raid
— The Wall Street Journal
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Bias summary: Left-leaning Guardian emphasizes US military’s use of Claude in Venezuela raid, implying intervention concerns. Center Axios highlights escalating feud with Pentagon warning Anthropic to ‘pay a price,’ focusing on business tensions. Right-leaning WSJ spotlights Pentagon deploying Claude against Maduro, framing positively as action versus dictator. All report core facts without major omissions.

5As Iran talks drag on, questions emerge over how long Trump will indulge diplomacy

Story gist: US envoys conduct prolonged talks with Iran while managing another crisis. Questions emerge about duration of diplomatic efforts under President Trump.
Left
As Iran talks drag on, questions emerge over how long Trump will indulge diplomacy
— CNN
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Center
US envoys juggle two crisis talks, raising questions about prospects for success
— Reuters
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Right
No major right-leaning outlet from our monitored sources covered this story
Bias summary: Left-leaning CNN emphasizes talks ‘dragging on’ and Trump’s potential impatience with ‘indulging’ diplomacy, using skeptical tone. Center Reuters neutrally reports US envoys juggling two crisis talks and prospects for success. Right-leaning coverage absent, omitting perspectives praising Trump’s negotiating leverage or criticizing Iran’s delays.