US, Russia Hold Talks to Better Relations; Trump Replaces Social Security Administration Head

The United States and Russia said on Tuesday that they have agreed to press ahead with efforts to end the war in Ukraine after holding talks in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh.

President Donald Trump has replaced the head of the Social Security Administration (SSA), the White House said on Feb. 18. “The agency will be led by a career Social Security anti-fraud expert as the acting commissioner,” White House spokesman Harrison Fields told The Epoch Times in an email.

Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization will begin indirect negotiations on the second stage of the Gaza cease-fire deal, officials said on Tuesday. Hamas terrorists said they will release the bodies of four hostages on Thursday, while another six hostages still alive will be released on Saturday.

Topics in this episode include:

1. Hamas to Release 6 Hostages and 4 Bodies
2. Israel to Begin 2nd Phase of Gaza Cease-Fire Talks
3. Israel Will Remain at 5 Strategic Points in Lebanon
4. US and Russia Hold Talks to Better Relations
5. Investigators Examine Wreckage of Plane in Toronto
6. 14 Dead in Flooding Across Several States
7. White House Says Musk Doesn’t Run DOGE
8. Judge Rejects Blocking DOGE Access
9. DOGE: Up To $4.7 Trillion in Treasury Payments Untraceable
10. White House Defends IRS Review by DOGE
11. House Panel: CCP Espionage, Repression Rising in the US
12. 1st Major Republican Declared for California Governor Race
13. Senate Moves on Kash Patel’s Confirmation
14. Judge Orders NYC Mayor Adams’s Prosecutors to Appear
15. Hochul Considers Removing NYC Mayor Adams From Office
16. Kristi Noem Warns Illegal Immigrants in New Ad
17. Airport CEO Gives Updates on Delta Plane Crash in Toronto
18. Wisconsin Dismisses Challenge to Mobile Voting Van
19. Democrats Propose Removing Washington From State Flag
20. FDA Food Chief Jim Jones Resigns
21. Vance: Barring AP Is Not a Threat to Free Speech
22. Mexico Threatens to Sue Google Over ‘Gulf of America’
23. Ukrainians Honor Fallen Soldiers After Years of Fighting
24. Will Trump Bring Change to Russia–Ukraine War?
25. Who Will Compromise More in Russia–Ukraine Negotiations?
26. South Korea Alleges DeepSeek Shared Data With ByteDance
27. Son of Jailed Hong Kong Media Mogul Pleads for Help
28. Are Eggs, Milk Safe With Bird Flu Outbreak?
29. Price of Eggs Up 53 Percent Year-on-Year in January
30. Mexican Startup Converts Plastics Into Fuel
31. Vocal Teacher Impressed by Cultural Heritage of Shen Yun

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