Former President Donald Trump made headlines on Friday, February 13, 2026, by pardoning five former NFL players for various crimes, while the US military completed a large-scale transfer of Islamic State detainees from Syria to Iraq. Simultaneously, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) signed a deal to utilize Clearview AI's facial recognition technology, and consumers were presented with numerous deals for Presidents Day.
According to Al Jazeera, the pardons, announced by White House pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson, included Joe Klecko, Nate Newton, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, and the late Billy Cannon. The crimes ranged from perjury to drug trafficking.
In a separate development, the US military concluded the transfer of over 5,700 adult male IS suspects from detention facilities in Syria to Iraqi custody, as reported by Sky News. The operation, which began on January 21, was conducted at the request of the Iraqi government.
Meanwhile, The Verge reported on the ongoing developments surrounding the "Trump Mobile" phone, revealing its origins with executives at MVNO L, and its initial inspiration from a Mexican middleweight boxer. The Verge also highlighted a surge in discounts for Presidents Day, with deals across various categories, including earbuds, speakers, and smart home tech.
Hacker News reported that CBP had signed a deal with Clearview AI for a year of access to its facial recognition tool, costing $225,000. The tool, which compares photos against billions of images scraped from the internet, will be used for "tactical targeting" and strategic counter-network analysis, according to the contract. The service is intended to be embedded in analysts' day-to-day work, as part of a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle networks viewed as security threats.
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