Consumer confidence ticks up in February as labor market outlook improves

Updated on: February 24, 2026 / 1:07 PM EST / CBS/AP

Consumer confidence edged higher in February as Americans expressed a more optimistic view of the labor market and other facets of the economy, a new survey shows.

The Conference Board, a nonprofit research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index increased by 2.2 points in February, rising to 91.2.

That’s an improvement over January, when confidence fell sharply amid concerns over household income and job prospects. Still, February’s reading remains below the peak reached in November 2024, the Conference Board said.

An improving job market

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A higher share of survey respondents now say jobs are “plentiful” versus “hard to get,” a sign that consumers may be adopting a more favorable outlook of the labor market.

The improved February reading comes after the Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed robust hiring in January. Employers added 130,000 jobs last month, according to the latest jobs report.Still, the economy gained just 181,000 jobs in 2025, a fraction of the more than 2 million added in 2024.

Americans’ short-term expectations for their income, business conditions and the job market also rose, although they remain well below 80, the marker that can signal a recession ahead. It’s the 13th consecutive month that reading has come in under 80.

The measure of consumers’ assessments of their current economic situation also fell by 1.8 points to 120.

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Inflation concerns

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The consumer confidence data shows that Americans are still wary about high costs. Dana Peterson, chief economist for the Conference Board, noted in a press release that write-in responses reflected a growing pessimism towards prices, inflation and the cost of goods.

Consumers’ 12-month inflation expectations were little changed but remain elevated. Mentions of trade and politics increased, while references to labor market conditions eased as perceptions of the job market improved modestly this month.

According to the Conference Board’s February survey, consumers’ plans to buy big-ticket items over the next six months rose, with plans to buy used cars, furniture, TVs and smartphones leading the way.

Home-buying expectations were little changed in February, generally a slow time for the housing market, which has been mired in a years-long slump.

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Strong start to 2026 for labor market

Surprisingly strong start to 2026 for U.S. labor market 03:10

Surprisingly strong start to 2026 for U.S. labor market

(03:10)

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https://www.cbsnews.com/video/surprising-strong-start-2026-us-labor-market/

Leavitt says Trump chooses diplomacy first for Iran, but remains ‘willing to use’ lethal force if necessary

Published February 24, 2026 12:11pm EST | Fox News

White House says President Donald Trump is the ‘final decision-maker’ on US action towards Iran

By Greg Norman-Diamond | Fox News

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s first option for Iran is “always diplomacy,” but that he is “willing to use the lethal force of the United States military if necessary.”

The remarks come after Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday that “it will be a very bad day” for Iran if the country can’t strike a deal over its nuclear program.

“President Trump’s first option is always diplomacy. But as he has shown, he is willing to use the lethal force of the United States military if necessary.So the president is always the final decision-maker around here,” Leavitt said Tuesday.

“And I’ve seen a lot of sensationalist reporting over the past day that is just completely untrue. And anyone speculating to the media hiding behind an anonymous source, pretending to know what President Trump is thinking, or a decision he will make with respect to action against Iran has no idea what they’re talking about,” she added.

President Donald Trump speaks during an Angel Families remembrance ceremony held in the East Room at the White House on Feb. 23, 2026, in Washington, D.C.(Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The president told reporters last week that he is considering a limited military strike on Iran to pressure its leaders into reaching a deal over its nuclear program.

US ASSETS IN MIDDLE EAST POSITIONED FOR ‘HIGHLY KINETIC’ WAR, FORMER PENTAGON OFFICIAL SAYS

The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, is one of the U.S. military assets currently in the Middle East.(Mike Blake/Reuters)

The U.S. has recently been increasing its military assets in the Middle East, sending the USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group toward the region.

The USS Abraham Lincoln and three guided-missile destroyers already are in the area.

The USS Gerald R. Ford also has been sent to the Middle East as part of the U.S. military buildup.(U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 6th Fleet / Handout via Reuters)

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“Everything that has been written about a potential War with Iran has been written incorrectly, and purposefully so. I am the one that makes the decision, I would rather have a Deal than not but, if we don’t make a Deal, it will be a very bad day for that Country and, very sadly, its people, because they are great and wonderful, and something like this should never have happened to them,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday.

Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.

Alaska Airlines flight forced to turn around after passenger’s battery pack catches fire

February 24, 2026 / 2:03 PM EST / CBS News

An Alaska Airlines flight had to return to the airport on Sunday afternoon after a passenger’s power bank device overheated and caught fire, the airline and federal authorities said.

The flight, operated by Horizon, was traveling from Wichita, Kansas to Seattle, Washington.

The flight crew used a fire extinguisher to put out the blaze, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The fire was reported and the flight returned to Wichita. The crew placed the device in a thermal containment bag while preparing for landing, Alaska Airlines said.

Once the Embraer 175 jet returned to the gate, the passenger who had been using the device received medical attention, the FAA and Alaska Airlines said. An update on her condition was not available.

Alaska Airlines said passengers arrived in Seattle on a later flight and that the airline “appreciated their patience.”

The FAA said it is investigating the incident. The agency requires airlines to report incidents involving dangerous goods, a label that includes batteries, battery-powered devices and aerosols.

Lithium batteries, which can be found in battery packs, phones, laptops and other electronics can pose a particular danger, the FAA said. Passengers can only bring lithium batteries up to a certain wattage on planes, and cannot check them into the cargo hold, according to FAA and airline regulations.

Between 2006 and 2023, there were 472 incidents on planes that involved lithium batteries, according to the FAA. Nearly 200 of those incidents involved batteries or battery packs. Most portable chargers and battery packs use lithium batteries, but the FAA and Alaska Airlines did not specify if the device in this incident included them.

Lithium battery fires are difficult to put out and can release toxic fumes, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

US House narrowly fails to pass aviation safety bill

February 24, 2026 4:15 PM UTC / By David Shepardson / Reuters

WASHINGTON, Feb 24 (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday failed to pass key aviation legislation despite pleas from lawmakers and relatives of those killed in the worst U.S. aviation disaster since 2001.

The House voted 264-133 in favor of the ROTOR Act, passed unanimously by the U.S. Senate in December, that would require aircraft operators to equip their fleets with a safety system known as the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast system, or ADS-B, by the end of 2031. Under the fast-track rules, the bill needed a two-thirds majority to pass — and it fell one vote short.

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A plane takes off from Chicago O’Hare International Airport, in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., October 26, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Cole

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ROTOR would require the military to use ADS-B on routine training flights but not on sensitive military missions. The legislation follows the January 2025 disaster, when an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided in the crowded airspace over the nation’s capital, killing 67 people.

SAFETY SYSTEM WOULD HAVE PREVENTED CRASH: NTSB

National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said ADS-B would have prevented the 2025 collision and noted the agency has called for it to be mandated for more than 20 years.

NTSB said ADS-B could have alerted the passenger plane pilot 59 seconds before the collision and the helicopter crew 48 seconds before.

“How many more people need to die for us to decide that action needs to be taken?” she told reporters on Tuesday.

In December, the Pentagon said it supported the legislation, sponsored by Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz and the panel’s top Democrat, Maria Cantwell. But in a statement released on Monday, the Pentagon said the bill could create “significant unresolved budgetary burdens and operational security risks affecting national defense activities.”

House Transportation Committee chair Sam Graves said Tuesday the panel will take up a rival aviation safety bill as soon as next week.

Audrey Patel, whose husband died in the crash, was pregnant at the time and noted other recent near-collisions. “We know why this happened and how to prevent it,” Patel said at a Capitol Hill press conference urging the legislation’s passage.

House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers, a Republican, criticized the ROTOR Act, saying it would undermine national security. But he added some military aircraft should be equipped with and transmit ADS-B in congested civilian airspace and noted a rival safety bill was introduced last week.

Cantwell said it was incorrect that the bill would mandate ADS-B on B-52 or F-35 aircraft, but would ensure use in congested airspace to ensure safety.

The ROTOR Act also boosts oversight of commercial jet and helicopter traffic and flight routes near commercial airports.

Reporting by David Shepardson Editing by Rod Nickel and Nick Zieminski

Utah judge in Charlie Kirk shooting case rejects bid to disqualify prosecutors

February 24, 2026 / 1:54 PM EST / CBS/AP

A Utah judge on Tuesday rejected a motion to disqualify the prosecutors handling the case against Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus last September.

Robinson’s attorneys had sought to disqualify the prosecutors assigned to his case because the 18-year-old daughter of one of the deputy county attorney was at the event where Kirk was fatally shot, which, they argued, constituted a conflict of interest. The teen, whose name was redacted from court filings, texted her father and described the events surrounding the shooting.

Prosecutors with the Utah County Attorney’s Office plan to seek the death penalty against Robinson, 22, who is charged with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 shooting of Kirk at Utah Valley University campus in Orem. Robinson has not yet entered a plea.

Robinson’s attorneys urged the judge to remove the Utah County Attorney’s Office because they allowed a deputy county attorney to work on the case despite knowing that his adult daughter was in the audience when Kirk was shot.

In court documents, the defense had described the personal relationship between the deputy attorney and his child as a conflict of interest that

Iran is nearing a deal with China to acquire supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles, a move that could significantly raise the stakes in the Middle East as U.S. carrier strike groups assemble within striking distance of the Islamic Republic.

Reuters reported Tuesday that Tehran is close to finalizing an agreement for Chinese-made CM-302 missiles, citing six people with knowledge of the negotiations.

The supersonic weapons, which can travel roughly 180 miles and fly low to evade ship defenses, would enhance Iran’s ability to target U.S. naval forces operating in the region.

The deal is near completion, though no delivery date has been agreed, the people said. It is unclear how many missiles are involved, how much Iran has agreed to pay, or whether China will ultimately proceed given heightened regional tensions.

The CM-302 supersonic anti-ship missile weapon system is shown during the Zhuhai Airshow in Zhuhai, China, Nov. 2, 2016.(Dickson Lee/South China Morning Post via Getty Images)

Reuters reported that negotiations accelerated after last year’s 12-day war between Israel and Iran, which left Tehran’s military infrastructure strained and heightened regional tensions.

The reported deal comes as President Donald Trump warns Tehran of consequences if it fails to curb its nuclear program, while the Pentagon has deployed multiple carrier strike groups to the region, including USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford. The buildup marks one of the largest U.S. naval deployments in the region in recent years.

Trump said on Feb. 19 he was giving Iran 10 days to reach an agreement over its nuclear program or face potential military action.

WITKOFF WARNS IRAN IS ‘A WEEK AWAY’ FROM ‘BOMB-MAKING MATERIAL’ AS TRUMP WEIGHS ACTION

The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln docks at Souda Bay on the Greek Mediterranean island of Crete, Feb. 24, 2026, following orders by U.S. President Donald Trump to increase the American naval presence in the region.(Costas Metaxakis/AFP via Getty Images)

A White House official told Fox News Digital that the president remains firm that Iran cannot develop nuclear weapons or enrich uranium.

“The president would like to see a deal negotiated, but he has been clear that ‘either we will make a deal or we will have to do something very tough like last time,’” the official said when asked for comment on the reported approaching Iran-China deal.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last week appeared to threaten U.S. warships directly.

“More dangerous than that warship is the weapon that can send that warship to the bottom of the sea,” Khamenei wrote on Feb. 17 on X.

Military analysts say a Chinese transfer of supersonic anti-ship missiles could complicate U.S. naval operations in the Persian Gulf and surrounding waters.

“It’s a complete game-changer if Iran has supersonic capability to attack ships in the area,” Danny Citrinowicz, a former Israeli intelligence officer and senior Iran researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, told Reuters. “These missiles are very difficult to intercept.”

IRAN ANNOUNCES TEST OF NEW NAVAL AIR DEFENSE MISSILE IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ AS US MILITARY BUILDUP CONTINUES

The reported deal comes as President Donald Trump, left, warns Tehran of consequences if it fails to curb its nuclear program. Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is pictured right.(Chip Somodevilla; Iranian Leader Press Office/Anadolu)

Still, U.S. forces maintain layered defenses against Iranian threats, including Patriot missile batteries, Navy destroyers equipped with Standard Missile interceptors and F-35 stealth fighters, Fox News Digital reported.

Last year, Navy destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles using SM-3 interceptors, while Marine Corps F-35Cs operating from USS Abraham Lincoln shot down Iranian drones that approached U.S. assets, according to U.S. Central Command.

Iran has also relied on swarming fast boats, ballistic missiles and drones in past confrontations with U.S. forces.

The White House did not directly address the reported missile negotiations when asked by Reuters. China’s foreign ministry told the outlet it was not aware of the talks.

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The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier docks at Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete, Feb. 24, 2026.(Stefanos Rapanis/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The potential transfer would mark one of the most advanced Chinese weapons systems supplied to Iran in decades and could test U.S. sanctions authorities if finalized.

As U.S. forces fan out across the region, defense officials have stressed that the buildup is designed to deter Iranian aggression — but warned they are prepared for combat if diplomacy fails.

Reuters contributed to this report.

DNA from Nancy Guthrie’s house may not provide enough evidence to help investigators, sources say

February 24, 2026 / 1:33 PM EST / CBS News

DNA recovered from inside Nancy Guthrie’s house may not provide enough evidence to help investigators identify the people behind the disappearance of the mother of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie.

According to sources close to the investigation, there are concerns that DNA recovered from Nancy Guthrie’s Tucson, Arizona, home may not yield a usable profile for comparison in federal and private sector DNA databases. One source called the recovered DNA “low-level.”

Another law enforcement source said that a low-level sample would likely mean there was not enough DNA material present to get a clean and reliable result. However, they said, even a low-level sample can be enhanced by scientific techniques in the lab but would take longer to achieve.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said its contracted lab in Florida is continuing to analyze the samples and has not reached a conclusion on whether they’re usable.

With the investigation into Guthrie’s disappearance now in its fourth week, authorities haven’t named a suspect or a person of interest in the case. Last week, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said in a statement that all of Nancy Guthrie’s three adult children and their spouses were cleared as possible suspects in the case.

Earlier Tuesday, Savannah Guthrie announced that her family was offering a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to her return. The FBI also separately announced a$100,000 reward.

A DNA profile from a set of gloves found about 2 miles from Guthrie’s house didn’t match any entries in the national database maintained by the FBI known as the Combined DNA Index System, or CoDIS, the sheriff’s department said. The database contains DNA profiles of individuals with a previous arrest for certain crimes who had supplied a DNA sample.

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Authorities have turned to an investigative technique called genetic genealogy as they try to make the most of the DNA evidence. The process has been used to crack some notable cases in the past decade, including identifying the so-called Golden State Killer in California who’d eluded authorities for over 40 years and the man behind the high-profile killings of four Idaho college students.

The method involves using publicly available genealogy sites to find genetic relatives of an unidentified DNA sample that may belong to a potential suspect.

Claire Glynn, the director of the graduate-level program in forensic investigative genetic genealogy at the University of New Haven in Connecticut, told CBS News that law enforcement agencies are generally allowed to use two databases for such investigations, GEDmatch Pro and FamilyTreeDNA.

FamilyTreeDNA recently told CBS News that the company doesn’t work directly with authorities on genetic genealogy cases, but instead conducts such work through an independent third-party partner that uses a separate consent-based database.

“Participation in investigative genetic genealogy matching at FamilyTreeDNA is strictly voluntary and opt-in only,” the company said. “We place the highest priority on customer privacy, data security, and ethical use in all aspects of our operations.”

GEDmatch PRO told CBS News that law enforcement agencies use its database to identify criminals as well as human remains. Tom Osypian, an official at the company, said in a statement that it’s a self-serve platform so the company often doesn’t get contacted when authorities upload DNA profiles to its database.

“In fact, we don’t usually find out that our service was used to solve a case until we learn about it from a press announcement from law enforcement,” Osypian said.

Other publicly available DNA submission sites don’t allow law enforcement agencies to use their services as freely without going through the legal process.

Grace Samuelson and Alex Sundby contributed to this report.

‘Plenty of time to change that’: Rep. Jim Jordan reacts to CNN poll showing Trump’s approval with independents at 26% | CNN Politics

2026-02-24T18:44:54.547Z / CNN

Republican Rep. Jim Jordan joins CNN’s Manu Raju on “Inside Politics” hours before President Trump delivers the State of the Union address. Pressed on Americans’ dissatisfaction with the state of the economy, Jordan tells Raju, “The tax cuts are just now kicking in… I think you’re going to see all this really begin to happen, where the Big, Beautiful Bill and the things we did there are going to kick in and improve the economy.”

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US senators back Ukraine ahead of major Trump speech, text shows

By Patricia Zengerle
February 24, 2026 7:03 PM UTC Updated 51 mins ago

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Item 1 of 2 A woman reacts as she sits in front of a grave at a local cemetery, decorated with flowers to pay tribute to the victims of the Russian attack on Ukraine, on the day marking the fourth anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion, in Chernihiv, Ukraine. REUTERS/Maksym Kishka

[1/2]A woman reacts as she sits in front of a grave at a local cemetery, decorated with flowers to pay tribute to the victims of the Russian attack on Ukraine, on the day marking the fourth anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion, in Chernihiv, Ukraine. REUTERS/Maksym Kishka

• Summary

• Trump speech comes on fourth anniversary of Ukraine conflict
• Resolution supported by group of Republicans and Democrats
• Measure meant to illustrate support in Congress for Kyiv

WASHINGTON, Feb 24 (Reuters) – A group of Democratic and Republican U.S. senators will introduce a resolution on Tuesday supporting Ukraine as it battles Russian invaders, hours before President Donald Trump was due to make his nationally televised State of the Union address to the nation.

The resolution was led by Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Thom Tillis, who are co-chairs of the Senate NATO Observer Group. It had at least 26 other co-sponsors, about evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats, according to an early copy of the resolution seen by Reuters.

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Other provisions include condolences for the loss of Ukrainian lives, commendation of Ukrainians’ bravery, encouragement of strong cooperation among NATO allies and a call for any negotiated settlement to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and “include Ukraine as the central party to discussions regarding its future.”

The resolution comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s government faces mounting U.S. pressure to secure a peace deal. Although it does not have the force of law, it illustrates the strong support for the government in Kyiv from many in Washington, and its release on Tuesday sends a signal that lawmakers want more support for Ukraine from Trump.

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Trump’s Tuesday night speech coincides with the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a reminder of a conflict that the Republican president has yet to end despite his past vow that he could stop it “in 24 hours.”

Members of Congress, including some of Trump’s fellow Republicans as well as Democrats, have urged him to do more to help Zelenskiy’s government, including sending all of the financial and military aid they have authorized over the past several years.

Tuesday’s resolution was co-sponsored by Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as well as Democratic Senators Michael Bennet, Richard Durbin, Richard Blumenthal, Sheldon Whitehouse and Tim Kaine.

Republican co-sponsors include former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Tillis, John Curtis, Chuck Grassley, Roger Wicker, Jerry Moran, Dave McCormick and Susan Collins.

Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Don Durfee, Rod Nickel

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe will brief top congressional leaders on rising tensions in Iran on Tuesday ahead of President Donald Trump’s annual State of the Union address.

Ratcliffe and Rubio, who also serves as Trump’s national security advisor, will brief the so-called “Gang of Eight,” congressional leadership as well as top lawmakers on the Intelligence committees, from the White House Tuesday at 3 p.m.

The closed-door session comes as the administration weighs next steps in the escalating standoff with the Islamic Republic. Talks with Iran, where the U.S. is pushing for full denuclearization and a limit on its ballistic missile program, are scheduled to resume on Thursday. White House envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff led talks last week with Iran that did not result in a tangible deal.

The White House has made clear that diplomacy is Trump’s first priority, but the Middle East has seen the largest U.S. military buildup in decades: one carrier strike group under the USS Abraham Lincoln is already in the region and another under the USS Gerald R. Ford is heading that way.

Meanwhile, Iran is digging in. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X Tuesday: “Our fundamental convictions are crystal clear: Iran will under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon; neither will we Iranians ever forgo our right to harness the dividends of peaceful nuclear technology for our people.”

In a message directed at the American side, he added: “A deal is within reach, but only if diplomacy is given priority.”

The U.S. has insisted Iran cannot have any nuclear enrichment capacity, even for energy purposes.

Araghchi said last week that the two sides had come to a “general agreement on a number of guiding principles” and agreed to begin drafting text for a possible agreement, with plans to exchange drafts and schedule a third round of talks.

Meanwhile, reports have swirled that Trump is considering a “limited” strike on Iran aimed at pressuring its leaders into acquiescing to a deal.

Rubio’s classified briefing comes at a pivotal moment — just hours before Trump steps to the podium for his State of the Union address. The timing suggests the administration wants congressional leaders fully briefed on Iran’s nuclear posture, U.S. intelligence assessments and potential next steps before the president publicly lays out his strategy to the nation.

By meeting with the “Gang of Eight” ahead of the speech, the White House is also locking in oversight consultation before Trump speaks. That gives top lawmakers the same classified context the president is working from — and makes it harder for critics to argue they were blindsided if Trump signals tougher action, new diplomatic parameters or a shift in posture toward Tehran during his address.