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Takeaways From Marco Rubio’s Senate Hearing
Marco Rubio, the Republican senator from Florida named by Donald J. Trump to be the next secretary of state, was warmly welcomed by senators from both parties at his confirmation hearing on Wednesday. He has served for years on the Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committees in the Senate, and is known as a lawmaker devoted to the details of foreign policy.
“I believe you have the skills and are well qualified to serve as secretary of state,” Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat of Hampshire, said in her opening remarks.
The notable lack of tension at the hearing indicated that Mr. Rubio would almost certainly be confirmed quickly.
Republican and Democratic senators agree on the biggest U.S. challenges.
From the lines of questioning, it was clear what senators want Mr. Rubio and the Trump administration to focus on: China, Russia, North Korea and Iran. Mr. Rubio himself pointed to those four powers — what some call an “axis” — in his opening remarks.
They “sow chaos and instability and align with and fund radical terror groups, then hide behind their veto power at the United Nations and the threat of nuclear war,” he said. As permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, China and Russia have veto power over U.N. resolutions.
Mr. Rubio repeatedly singled out the Chinese Communist Party for criticism, and, unlike Mr. Trump, he had no praise for any of the autocrats running those nations.
He did say the administration’s official policy on Ukraine would be to try to end the war that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia started, and that leaders in both Kyiv and Moscow would need to make concessions. U.S. officials say Russia has drawn its allies and partners into the war, relying on North Korea for troops and arms, Iran for weapons and training, and China for a rebuilding of the Russian defense industrial base.
Rubio’s stance on Israel and Gaza is firmly within a foreign policy consensus in Washington.
Mr. Rubio defended Israel’s conduct in the war in Gaza, blaming Hamas for using civilians as human shields and calling the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, most of them non-combatants, “one of the terrible things about war.”
He expressed concern about threats to Israel’s security. “You cannot coexist with armed elements at your border who seek your destruction and evisceration, as a state. You just can’t,” he said.
When asked whether he believed Israel’s annexing Palestinian territory would be contrary to peace and security in the Middle East, Mr. Rubio did not give a direct answer, calling it “a very complex issue.”
Mr. Rubio’s hearing was about two hours in when the committee’s chairman announced that Israel and Hamas had sealed an agreement to begin a temporary cease-fire and partial hostage release in Gaza. An initial hostage and cease-fire agreement, reached in November 2023, fell apart after a week.
Rubio supports U.S. alliances, despite Trump’s persistent attacks on them.
Mr. Rubio called the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which Mr. Trump has repeatedly criticized, “a very important alliance” and insisted that Mr. Trump was a NATO supporter. But he also backed Mr. Trump’s argument that a strong NATO requires Europe to spend more money on its collective defense.
The United States, he said, must choose whether it will serve “a primary defense role or a backstop” to a self-reliant Europe.
Though many Senate colleagues praised him, Rubio has detractors.
Some prominent Trump supporters remain distrustful of Mr. Rubio. They recall his vote to certify the 2020 election results despite Mr. Trump’s false claims of election fraud. And they consider Mr. Rubio’s foreign policy record dangerously interventionist.
Mr. Rubio has long been a hawkish voice on national security issues, often in ways that clash with Mr. Trump’s views, even if the ideas are conventional ones among centrist Republican and Democratic politicians.
In the past, Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, has criticized Mr. Rubio for advocating aggressive American intervention overseas. Mr. Paul has been outspoken in pushing for less use of U.S. troops abroad and is skeptical about whether economic sanctions can lead to positive outcomes.
On Wednesday, Mr. Paul pointedly asked Mr. Rubio whether he saw any way to work with China rather then persisting in attacks on Beijing, and he also questioned the wisdom of many American and European policymakers who insisted that Ukraine must be admitted to NATO.
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Video: Armed Man Is Shot and Killed at Mar-a-Lago, Authorities Say
new video loaded: Armed Man Is Shot and Killed at Mar-a-Lago, Authorities Say
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transcript
Armed Man Is Shot and Killed at Mar-a-Lago, Authorities Say
Officers fatally shot Austin Tucker Martin, 21, after he entered a secure perimeter at Mar-a-Lago, officials said. The authorities said he was carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel canister.
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He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with him, at which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position. At that point in time, the deputy and the two Secret Service agents fired their weapons and neutralized the threat. He is deceased at the scene.
By Cynthia Silva
February 22, 2026
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Northeast readies for a major winter storm, with blizzard warnings in effect
New Jersey Light Rail arrives at Port Imperial Station as snow falls on Sunday in Weehawken, N.J.
Kena Betancur/Getty Images
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Officials are warning those in the path of a dangerous winter storm to take precautions and heed warnings as blizzard conditions are set to impact the East Coast Sunday through Monday.
The National Weather Service (NWS) on Sunday said the storm will bring “heavy snow, high winds, blizzard conditions and coastal flooding across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.”
Cody Snell, a forecaster with the NWS Weather Prediction Center, said Sunday there could be at least 18 inches to 2 feet of snow along parts of the East Coast from New Jersey up through Massachusetts.
“That’s where we’re going to see the major impacts from snowfall with this system that includes heavy snowfall rates, which can reduce visibility and accumulate on roads very quickly tonight, into tomorrow morning,” Snell said during a briefing on Sunday. “We’re going to see the snowfall be very heavy and wet. … It’s going to weigh down trees, power lines.”

Winds with gusts from 40 to 70 mph from the New Jersey coast to New England are expected, which could lead to power outages, the NWS said on Sunday. Coastal flooding and erosion could also occur from Delaware to Cape Cod.
Blizzard warnings have been issued for parts of Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine.
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani said public schools will be closed Monday and cautioned people to enjoy the snow safely once the worst of the storm ends.
“We haven’t seen a storm like this in a decade. Some parts of the city could see up to 28in,” Mamdani said in a social media post. “Please, stay inside if you can and if you see someone on the street in need of assistance, call 311.”
A state of emergency has been declared in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Travel could be “dangerous or impossible” in areas including southeast Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Long Island, Rhode Island, and southeast Maine, according to the NWS.
A travel ban has been issued for New York City, in which all “bridges, highways, and streets will be closed to traffic from 9pm Sunday thru noon Monday,” according to NYC Comptroller Mark Levine.
“No cars, trucks, scooters, or e-bikes. Limited exemptions for essential and emergency movement,” Levine posted on social media Sunday. “Please take this seriously. Stay home if at all possible.”
LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy Airport on Sunday warned fliers that “significant travel impacts are expected” and to “check their flight status regularly with their airline before heading to the airport.”
Portions of Virginia, Washington D.C., and Maryland are also expected to receive snow through Monday morning.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of preparedness in Maryland on Saturday.

More than 5,100 flights within, into and out of the U.S. have been delayed as of 5:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, according to FlightAware. More than 3,300 flights within, into and out of the U.S. have been canceled.
Amtrak also said on Sunday it adjusted some of its routes through Monday because of the winter storm.
NWS meteorologist Owen Shieh advised people to be cautious when shoveling because the snow will be “deceptively heavy.”
“As you’re clearing the driveways, please take care, take lots of breaks and don’t overdo it when it comes to shoveling the snow,” Shieh said during a briefing Sunday.
Shieh also warned that if someone becomes stranded during the storm to not leave their car. “To wander off in the middle of the storm would actually be more dangerous, and so please keep that in mind if emergency travel is necessary,” Shieh said.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on Saturday urged people impacted by the storm to “avoid unnecessary travel, charge devices, stock up on essentials & be ready for power outages.” The agency also said for people to follow directives from their local officials.
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Homeland Security suspends TSA PreCheck and Global Entry airport security programs
FILE – U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, right, shakes hands with Transportation Security Administration Officer Monica Degro at a news conference at Harry Reid International Airport, Nov. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas.
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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is suspending the TSA PreCheck and Global Entry airport security programs as a partial government shutdown continues.
The programs are designed to help speed registered travelers through security lines. Suspending them could cause headaches for fliers.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement that “shutdowns have serious real world consequences.” She also said that “TSA and CBP are prioritizing the general traveling population at our airports and ports of entry and suspending courtesy and special privilege escorts.”
The partial government shutdown began Feb. 14 after Democrats and the White House were unable to reach a deal on legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Democrats have been demanding changes to immigration operations that are core to President Donald Trump’s deportation campaign.
Democrats on the House Committee on Homeland Security criticized the decision about airport security.
They said on social media that the administration was “kneecapping the programs that make travel smoother and secure” and accused them of “ruining your travel on purpose.”
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