• U.S. moves military toward Iran: A massive U.S. military buildup is underway in the Middle East with Iran in the crosshairs. The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group had already moved into the region, but now the USS Gerald R. Ford, the largest warship ever constructed, has reached the Mediterranean and is moving toward Iran. Numerous Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers are in the region, along with Independence-class littoral combat ships and at least one nuclear submarine. Aircraft, including Stratotankers, AWACS, and F-22s, have been traversing Europe in that direction in such numbers that tracking software has started to fall behind. Trump administration officials have been strategically cagey about their plans for the buildup, but Iran has been encouraged to “make a deal” in the ongoing diplomatic talks. All necessary forces for a possible action will be in place by mid-March, a senior official said.

• The Andrew formerly known as Prince arrested: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, brother of King Charles III, received a 66th birthday surprise — he was arrested. The ex-prince is further embroiled in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, as he is charged with forwarding confidential trade documents to Epstein. Andrew was taken into custody at his Sandringham Estate in eastern England early Thursday and faces possible life imprisonment for public office misconduct. He was reported to the police earlier this month following the release of the Epstein files. King Charles conveyed his “deepest concern” over the arrest but stated that the “law must take its course.” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, “One of the core principles in our system is that everybody is equal under the law and nobody is above the law.” He’s happy to hold the white British royals accountable for misconduct but allow Muslim Pakistani rape gangs to roam free.

• Bhattacharya to head CDC temporarily: National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya has been tapped by the Trump administration to act as the temporary head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after former Acting Director Jim O'Niell’s exit. Bhattacharya gained prominence early in the COVID pandemic when he coauthored the Great Barrington Declaration, which criticized the government’s overly aggressive, pseudo-scientific response to the pandemic. Bhattacharya will remain NIH director as the Trump administration seeks a permanent CDC director, who must be confirmed by the Senate. Donald Trump’s first CDC director, Susan Monarez, served for only a month before resigning in opposition to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.‘s vaccine policy.

• GOP sues to stop VA Dems’ gerrymandering: A group of Republicans filed a lawsuit against Virginia Democrats’ redistricting ballot referendum, seeking an emergency motion to stop the measure ahead of the March 6 early voting date. The lawsuit contends that Democrats have violated state law and used misleading language in pushing their blatantly partisan redistricting map that fails to represent Virginia’s near-even voter split. National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson observed, “Virginia Democrats are ignoring their own Constitution and trying to rig the system in their favor.”

• CNN “documentary” will frame Kirk’s memorial as a radicalizing event: CNN’s Pamela Brown announced this week a documentary expected to air this weekend on how Charlie Kirk’s assassination became a “rallying call” for Christian nationalism. “Christian nationalism” is a deliberate effort to turn Christian citizenship into a slur that can be used against the Right. That, of course, gives away CNN’s game. This is not a hard-hitting documentary meant to highlight the grief the Christian Right felt over Kirk’s murder and how many are feeling led to live up to his example; it is a propaganda piece meant to turn its audience against the idea of Christian nationalism. A clip from the documentary shows Professor Matthew Taylor casting doubt on the persecution of Christians … while discussing Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

• Mamdani shifts gears, restarts homeless encampment sweeps: During his campaign, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani blasted his predecessor, Eric Adams, for his policy of clearing out homeless encampments in the city. Upon taking office, Mamdani immediately suspended such sweeps, calling them inhumane. However, just over a month into the post, and following the death of at least 19 individuals due to cold exposure, Mamdani is changing his tune. On Wednesday, he announced that he is reauthorizing the sweeps, though he noted they would not be carried out by the police but by the city’s homeless services department. Coalition for the Homeless executive director David Giffen criticized the decision, arguing, “When a city worker shows up and throws out all your belongings, you’re not going to trust that person the next time they show up offering you a place to sleep inside.”

• Trans Bill of Rights: Once upon a time, the 10 rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights were considered applicable to all Americans. Today, in an era when the Left is pushing “identity groups” rather than patriotism, that is no longer the case. That’s why House Democrats have introduced the “Trans Bill of Rights.” The bill itself is vague, aiming only to expand transgender access to public “services” and “accommodations.” Despite claiming to ask for “equal access,” what this bill truly wants to enshrine in law is the right of a perverted man in a dress to enter protected women’s spaces. Additionally, it would require institutions to play along with the transgender fetish and taxpayers to pay for gender reassignment surgeries. Under the Trump administration, this bill is expected to be dead in the water, but it establishes the playbook for the next Democrat administration.

• NYU Langone and Baystate Health get rid of “gender-affirming care”: If you can’t appeal to their conscience, appeal to their wallets. That’s the motto behind the Trump administration’s policies that have now led to the termination of NYU Lagone and Baystate Health’s gender mutilation. Baystate, the largest healthcare system in western Massachusetts, and Lagone, a major Manhattan hospital, were not convinced by the Cass Review and subsequent banning of “gender-affirming” surgeries in the UK. Nor were they convinced by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Medical Association’s statements that no “gender-affirming” care should be given to minors. But once the secretary of Health and Human Services announced that their Medicaid and Medicare funding would be cut off, they ended their evil practices posthaste.

• High school trans wrestler accused of sexual assault drops out of girls state tourney: A male high school wrestler who identifies as a “transgender girl” and has been accused of sexually assaulting a female competitor during a match has withdrawn from the Washington State girls wrestling championship tournament. State authorities have yet to announce whether charges will be raised against this individual. A Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association spokesperson explained that the male athlete was “replaced by an alternate from the same WIAA District qualifying event.” The girl accusing him of sexual assault is not the alternate competitor.

• Dispatches from Oakland: In Oakland, California, no one is above being targeted by the criminals — not even the mayor. A thief reportedly stole Mayor Barbara Lee’s car keys from her office and, two days later, returned to steal the car. The mayor’s abandoned black SUV was later discovered nearby in Vallejo, California. The Oakland Police Department has yet to locate the thief. Apparently, Oakland has the highest auto theft rate in the country, with 9,914 motor vehicle thefts in 2024, according to FBI data. Its overall crime rate was also four times the national average in 2024, likely due to the fact that the Oakland Police Department is suffering from a severe shortage of officers. Even the Soros-backed Oakland DA wasn’t exempt from brazen burglars who broke her SUV window to steal her laptop. Ironically, though, she claims she “doesn’t feel unsafe” living there.

Headlines

• Judge rules that authorities can’t re-detain Kilmar Abrego Garcia (Townhall)

• Trump “taking an interest” in social media bans for teens (NY Post)

• Ex-South Korean President Yoon gets life sentence (Washington Times)

• Thief breaks into Oakland mayor’s office, steals her car (Not the Bee)

• Eight dead, one missing in Lake Tahoe avalanche tragedy (NY Post)

The Executive News Summary is compiled daily by Jordan Candler, Thomas Gallatin, Sterling Henry, and Sophie Starkova. For the archive, click here.