The U.S. Navy is deploying a second aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, to the Middle East, joining the USS Abraham Lincoln already in the region, according to multiple sources. This move comes amid simmering tensions between the U.S. and Iran, as confirmed by U.S. officials. The Ford, the Navy's most advanced aircraft carrier, is expected to arrive in the Middle East after being stationed in the Caribbean since November.
The USS Abraham Lincoln and its carrier strike group arrived in the Middle East late last month, as reported by CBS News. The USS Ford was previously in the Caribbean region, where American forces conducted strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats and captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, according to CBS News. The Ford set out on deployment in June 2025, and was sent from the Mediterranean Sea to the Caribbean last fall, as reported by Fox News.
The deployment of two aircraft carriers to the Middle East underscores the ongoing concerns about the region. The U.S. military's Central Command oversees the area. President Donald Trump is reportedly weighing potential military action against Iran, as stated by a U.S. official to Fox News.
In other news, Mexico is facing a potential loss of its measles elimination status, with over 9,000 cases confirmed since last year, according to ABC News. The majority of cases have occurred in children between ages 1 and 9. At least 28 deaths have been reported since last year, according to Mexico's Secretariat of Health. A measles outbreak began in the northwestern state of Chihuahua on February 1.
Meanwhile, in Norway, former Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland has been charged with gross corruption in connection with his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender, as reported by the NY Times. Several of Mr. Jagland's properties were searched on Thursday, according to the Norwegian police. Mr. Jagland's attorney stated that his client is cooperating with the authorities. The Council of Europe, which Mr. Jagland previously led, voted to waive the diplomatic immunity that came with his former post at the request of Norwegian authorities.
Finally, President Donald Trump has reversed a key Obama-era ruling that determined greenhouse gases endanger public health, according to BBC World. The 2009 "endangerment finding" was the legal basis for federal efforts to curb emissions. The White House called the reversal the "largest deregulation in American history," claiming it would reduce costs for automakers. Environmental groups have criticized the move.
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