đď¸ Senate Democrats Block DHS Funding Bill for Second Time Amid Immigration Enforcement Standoff
On February 24, 2026, Senate Democrats voted 50-45 to block a procedural motion to advance a full-year funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security, falling short of the 60 votes required to overcome a filibuster and marking the second such rejection this month. This action extends a partial DHS shutdown into its 11th or 12th day, affecting nonessential operations at agencies like TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard, where essential workers continue duties without pay. Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, demand reforms to Trump administration immigration tacticsâincluding bans on masks for agents, judicial warrants for certain actions, and independent probes of misconductâfollowing fatal incidents involving federal agents in Minneapolis last month. Republicans accuse Democrats of refusing to compromise, while Democrats claim the White House has not negotiated in good faith, leaving the impasse unresolved as talks stall.
Sources: The Washington Times, FOX News
đŞ DCCC Targets 12 GOP Seats with Initial Red to Blue Picks
House Democratsâ campaign committee has rolled out its first batch of 12 candidates for the âRed to Blueâ program, funneling extra resources to challengers aiming to flip Republican-held districts in the 2026 midterms. The selections reward candidates who have hit tough benchmarks on fundraising, grassroots efforts, organization, and local backing, with several rematches from close 2024 races and a mix of veterans, prosecutors, mayors, and former officeholders targeting battlegrounds in states like Arizona, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin. The move signals early confidence from the DCCC in expanding the playing field against GOP incumbents, even in areas Trump carried handily last cycle, as the party pushes to reclaim House control with a net gain of just a few seats.
Sources: Legal Insurrection, The Hill
đď¸ GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales Faces Mounting Calls to Resign Over Staffer Text Messages
Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) is under fire from several fellow House Republicans who are urging him to resign immediately or drop his 2026 reelection bid following the public release of explicit late-night text messages he allegedly sent to former staffer Regina Santos-Aviles, who died by suicide in September 2025 after setting herself on fire. The messages appear to show Gonzales pressing Santos-Aviles for sexual pictures and discussing intimate topics despite her pushback, with some lawmakers describing the exchanges as an abuse of power involving coercion of a vulnerable employee; Gonzales has firmly stated he will not resign, insisting he works daily for his Texas constituents and that further details will emerge, while the scandal complicates his tight GOP primary rematch against challenger Brandon Herrera in a red-leaning district, where the House Freedom Fund has endorsed his opponent and NRCC support appears limited.
Sources: The Washington Examiner, The Texas Tribune
đ¨ Border Patrol Agent Returns Fire on Armed Suspect Near Canadian Border in New Hampshire
A U.S. Border Patrol agent emerged unscathed after an armed individual allegedly opened fire on him around 1 a.m. on February 22, 2026, in Pittsburg, New Hampshire, right near the Canadian border. The agent returned fire, striking the suspect, who was then transported to a nearby hospital for treatment while the agent avoided injury. Federal authorities, including the FBIâs Boston field office and Customs and Border Protection, are investigating the encounter at this rural port-of-entry area, with CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott noting that the subject fired first before the agent responded. No details on the suspectâs identity, motive, or current condition have been released, and officials indicate more information may come if charges are filed.
Sources: The Daily Caller, FOX News
đ° Federal Government Tightens Scrutiny on Foreign Cash Flowing into American Universities
The Trump administration has partnered the Departments of Education and State to strengthen oversight of foreign gifts and contracts to U.S. colleges and universities under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act, which mandates disclosure of foreign sources totaling $250,000 or more annually. This move, announced February 23, 2026, builds on a 2025 executive order and aims to boost national security through better accuracy, transparency, and enforcement in reportingâafter recent data showed over $5.2 billion in such funds for 2025 alone, with top sources including Qatar, the UK, and China, and major recipients like Carnegie Mellon, MIT, Stanford, and Harvard. The collaboration lets State apply its national security expertise to compliance reviews, data sharing, and threat identification, marking another step in the administrationâs push to end underreporting and potential foreign influence that lingered under prior lax enforcement.
Sources: US Dept of Education, US State Dept
â Coast Guard Reinstates 56 Members Discharged Over COVID Vaccine Refusal
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on February 24, 2026, that 56 Coast Guard members previously removed from service for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine mandate imposed in 2021 under the Biden administration have been fully reinstated with back pay. This action follows President Trumpâs January 2025 executive order enabling such reinstatements across the military, with a Coast Guard Board for Correction of Military Records panel approving the move after a recommendation from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who described it as a win for religious, personal, and medical freedom. The reinstatements restore rank, seniority, and related benefits to those affected.
Sources: The Epoch Times, US Dept of Homeland Security
𤥠Gavin Newsom Urges Democrats to Get More âCulturally Normalâ to Win Elections
California Governor Gavin Newsom, in a CNN interview with Dana Bash promoting his memoir, stated that Democrats need to become more âculturally normalâ from a tactical political standpoint. He argued the party should spend less time on pronouns and identity politics and more on everyday âtabletop issuesâ that matter to voters, such as electricity bills, childcare costs, healthcare, and housing expenses. Newsom made these comments while discussing broader Democratic strategy and issues like transgender athletes in womenâs sports, suggesting a shift toward practical concerns could help the party appeal to a wider electorate.
Sources: Legal Insurrection, FOX News
đ Hypocrite College Professorâs Racist Hot-Mic Remark Shocks NYC School Meeting Attendees
A Hunter College associate professor named Allyson Friedman, participating as a parent in a February 10, 2026, virtual Community Education Council meeting on potential school closures in Manhattanâs District 3, was caught on a hot mic making inflammatory comments while a Black eighth-grade student spoke against shutting down her school. Friedman said, âTheyâre too dumb to know theyâre in a bad school,â followed by, âIf you train a Black person well enough, theyâll know to use the back. You donât have to tell them anymore,â remarks widely condemned as blatantly racist and evocative of segregation-era tropes. Attendees reacted with visible shock, covering their mouths in disbelief, and the professorâs microphone was called out before going silent. Friedman later apologized, insisting the views were not hers, that she was not addressing the student or any group directly, and that she had been referencing systemic racism via an âobviously racist tropeâ in a side conversation possibly meant for her child; Hunter College announced a review into whether the comments violated institutional policies, though no action has been taken yet given her tenure status.
Sources: The New York Post, The Gateway Pundit
đ Undercover Video Claims Big Four Packers Dominate U.S. Beef Industry
OâKeefe Media Group conducted an undercover operation at CattleCon 2026 in Nashville, where ranchers and industry insiders alleged that Tyson, JBS, Cargill, and National Beefâthe so-called âBig Fourââtightly control Americaâs beef market by acquiring competitors and reducing competition. Insiders claimed these companies can eliminate rivals quickly, dominate markets in the U.S. and Brazil, and influence pricing in ways that contribute to higher consumer beef prices at grocery stores despite lower cattle prices for ranchers. James OâKeefe highlighted these statements in a released video, noting the investigation raises questions about market dominance and its effects on pricing, in the context of a prior Trump administration directive for the DOJ to probe meat packers for potential price manipulation and collusion.
Sources: The Gateway Pundit, OâKeefe Media Group
đ NYPD Officers Hospitalized After Crowd Pelts Them with Snow and Ice in Washington Square Park
Multiple NYPD officers required hospital treatment for facial lacerations and other injuries after a large crowd in Washington Square Park threw snowballsâsome packed with iceâat them on February 23, 2026, while police responded to reports of disorder during a planned snowball event amid a major blizzard. Mayor Zohran Mamdani downplayed the incident as merely a âsnowball fightâ involving kids based on videos he saw, urged respect for officers working in harsh conditions, and declined to support criminal charges, even joking that he was the only one who deserved snowballs thrown at him; police officials and unions described it as a criminal assault warranting investigation and arrests, with the NYPD releasing images of suspects and Commissioner Jessica Tisch labeling the behavior disgraceful.
Sources: The Post Millennial, ABC7 New York City
đĽ Ukraine Drone Hits Russian Gas Hub on Warâs Fourth Anniversary
On the fourth anniversary of Russiaâs invasion of Ukraine, a Ukrainian drone struck a gas distribution facility in Belgorodâs Borisovka district overnight, triggering an explosion and fire that cut gas supplies to local homes. Russian regional authorities confirmed the attack, closed four schools, and placed kindergartens on alert while emergency teams worked to restore service; no injuries were reported from the Belgorod incident. The event unfolded as Russia conducted its own missile and drone barrages on Ukrainian targets, causing civilian casualties and infrastructure damage there, highlighting the persistent spillover of the conflict into Russian border areas like Belgorod, which has faced repeated Ukrainian strikes since 2022.
Sources: The UK Express, Reuters
đŁ Australian PM Evacuated from Residence Over Bomb Threat
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was evacuated from his official residence, The Lodge in Canberra, on February 24, 2026, following reports of a bomb threat that prompted a major security response from the Australian Federal Police. Officers searched the property thoroughly after responding to the alleged security incident around 6pm local time, ultimately finding nothing suspicious and confirming no ongoing threat to the public or community safety; Albanese returned home a few hours later after being relocated temporarily. Mainstream reports describe the event as part of a pattern of escalating threats against politicians, though official statements avoided specifics on the threatâs nature or origin beyond it being credible enough to warrant evacuation and a full sweep.
Sources: The Epoch Times, The Guardian
đ¨ Iran Quietly Inks Secret Missile Pact with Russia to Shore Up Defenses
Iran has reportedly sealed a covert âŹ500 million ($589 million) arms agreement with Russia, signed in Moscow last December, to purchase 500 man-portable Verba launch units and 2,500 9M336 shoulder-fired missiles over three years. The deal aims to rebuild Iranâs air defenses battered by Israeli and US strikes in a June war last year, with negotiations handled through Russiaâs state exporter Rosoboronexport and Iranâs defense ministry representative in Moscow. Details surfaced from leaked Russian documents and sources familiar with the arrangement, as Iran faces tight sanctions limiting its own production options. Deliveries are slated in phases from 2027 to 2029, offering Russia a low-risk way to aid an ally without draining its Ukraine-focused stocks.
Sources: ZeroHedge, The Financial Times
đ˘ Panama Seizes Control Of Key Canal Ports From Hong Kong Operator
Panamaâs government has taken administrative and operational control of the Balboa and CristĂłbal ports at either end of the Panama Canal after the countryâs Supreme Court ruled last month that the long-standing concession held by Hong Kong-based CK Hutchisonâs subsidiary was unconstitutional. The move follows years of operation by the company since 1997 and comes amid heightened U.S.-China tensions, sparked by President Trumpâs repeated assertions that China was exerting influence over the canal. Authorities issued a decree to occupy the facilities for urgent social interest reasons, granting temporary operating licenses to Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping Company while ensuring continuity of trade through the vital waterway. CK Hutchison condemned the action as unlawful and plans legal challenges, while Hong Kong lodged protests; the White House welcomed the step as aligning with efforts to limit Chinese sway in the region.
đĽ Russia Threatens Nuclear Strikes on UK and France Over Alleged Ukraine Arms Plan
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russiaâs Security Council, warned that Moscow could launch nuclear attacks, including non-strategic ones, on targets in Ukraine as well as in France and the United Kingdom if those nations supply Kyiv with nuclear weapons or related technology. The claim stems from Russiaâs Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), which alleged without evidence that London and Paris are covertly preparing to transfer nuclear components, equipment, and even a French small-sized warhead to Ukraine to bolster its position in any negotiations and achieve leverage against Russia. Ukraine dismissed the accusations as absurd lies, while Western officials labeled them disinformation, noting no proof was provided and such a move would violate the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. This saber-rattling arrived on the fourth anniversary of Russiaâs invasion, with Medvedev framing any such transfer as a direct threat requiring a proportional response that could extend beyond Ukraine itself.
Sources: The Washington Times, The Daily Mail