Thursday, February 26, 2026 - The Christian Science Monitor Daily

President Donald Trump’s brief mention of Iran in his State of the Union address was still short of a complete argument for how and why striking Iran, which would risk a wider Middle East conflict, would further U.S. interests. Also: today’s stories, including how U.S. President Donald Trump’s new retirement plan builds on a bipartisan model; what Trump’s view of U.S. military power could mean for Iran-US talks; and how some prominent U.S. universities are paring back campus spending in response to endowment tax hikes. Join the Monitor's Christa Case Bryant for today's news.