đ¨ SBA Suspends Over 111,000 California Borrowers Tied to $8.6 Billion in Pandemic Loan Fraud
The U.S. Small Business Administration has suspended 111,620 borrowers in California suspected of fraudulent activity in pandemic-era programs, specifically the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL). These individuals collectively received 118,489 loans amounting to more than $8.6 billion. SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler announced the action during a visit to San Diego on February 6, 2026, describing it as a major step to address widespread abuse that flourished under prior lax oversight, with plans underway to refer cases to federal law enforcement for prosecution and recovery of funds.
Sources: US Small Business Administration, FOX News
đď¸ Comer Demands Records from Ilhan Omarâs Husband Over Sudden Business Valuation Surge
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has sent a letter to Timothy Mynett, husband of Rep. Ilhan Omar, requesting extensive business documents from two companies in which Mynett holds stakesâeStCru LLC (a winery) and Rose Lake Capital LLC (an investment firm)âafter financial disclosures showed their reported value jumping from around $51,000 in 2023 to as much as $30 million in 2024. Comer cited the lack of public investor information, concerns that unknown parties might be pouring money in to gain influence with the congresswoman, potential misleading fundraising claims tied to past legal issues with eStCru, and requested items including financial statements, audits, SEC communications, federal agency correspondence, and travel records to or related to the UAE, Somalia, or Kenya. This unusual step scrutinizing a sitting memberâs spouse comes amid broader Republican probes into Omarâs wealth growth and links to Minnesota fraud cases, though no charges have resulted from related inquiries.
Sources: US House Oversight Committee, The New York Post
â ď¸ Trump Administration Pulls 700 Federal Agents from Minnesota Amid Local Cooperation
White House border czar Tom Homan announced on February 4, 2026, that the Trump administration is immediately withdrawing 700 federal immigration and law enforcement officers from Minnesota, reducing the surge deployment from roughly 3,000 to about 2,000 personnel, mostly in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Homan attributed the move to unprecedented cooperation from state and local officials, who have agreed to transfer arrested immigrants directly to ICE custody from jails, allowing for safer and more efficient enforcement without as many street-level operations. He emphasized that this partial drawdown reflects progress since he took over Operation Metro Surge, with plans for a full return to normal staffing levels around 150 agents contingent on continued collaboration and no threats to officers, while separate benefits fraud investigators remain unaffected.
Sources: The New York Post, The Washington Examiner
âď¸The Supreme Court Rejects GOP Effort to Halt Californiaâs New Congressional Map
The U.S. Supreme Court declined an emergency appeal from California Republicans, allowing the state to proceed with a newly redrawn congressional map approved by voters via Proposition 50. This map, pushed by Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom in response to Republican-led redistricting in Texas, is expected to shift up to five House seats toward Democrats ahead of the 2026 midterms. The justices issued a brief, unsigned order with no dissents or detailed explanation, turning down claims that the map constituted an unconstitutional racial gerrymander favoring Latino voters over partisan goals. Lower courts had already rejected similar arguments, finding overwhelming evidence of partisan intent rather than racial motivation. Republicans, backed by the Trump administrationâs DOJ, argued the map improperly used race, but the decision lets Californiaâs plan stand for now while the underlying challenge continues in lower courts.
đ Dow Jones Industrial Average Crosses 50,000 for the First Time
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 50,000 points for the first time in its history on February 6, 2026, surging more than 1,200 points, or about 2.47 percent, to finish at 50,115.67 amid a sharp rebound from a prior three-day sell-off driven by cryptocurrency turmoil and pressure on technology stocks. This milestone for the blue-chip index, which has outperformed peers like the S&P 500 and Nasdaq year-to-date, reflected renewed investor optimism in traditional sectors beyond tech, following volatility that included a crypto crash and broader market dips earlier in the week.
Sources: The Wall Street Journal, FOX Business
đ˘ Anti-ICE Activists Clash Over White Alliesâ Whistle Tactics
Immigrant-led groups in the anti-ICE movement have publicly criticized predominantly white ârapid responseâ networks for using whistles during protests and interventions against ICE operations, calling the practice a form of âWhite Saviorâ behavior that escalates tensions, risks agent reactions, hinders documentation, and symbolically mimics tools of oppression rather than resistance. This rebuke, highlighted by organizations like the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network in Seattle and the Montgomery County Immigrant Rights Collective in Maryland after recent incidents including a Minneapolis whistle use, has sparked backlash in activist chat groups, with some white-led factions defending whistles as effective alerts and symbols of courage while others pause their distribution to avoid centering themselves over affected communities.
đłď¸ NJ Democrat Primary Remains Too Close to Call as Democratic Socialist Analilia Mejia Holds Narrow Lead
In New Jerseyâs special Democratic primary for the 11th Congressional District seat vacated by Gov. Mikie Sherrill, progressive activist Analilia Mejia has edged ahead of former Rep. Tom Malinowski by a slim margin of around 486 to 676 votes, depending on the latest tallies from February 5-6, 2026. With roughly 91-93% of votes counted from the 11-candidate field, Mejia holds about 28.8-29.1% while Malinowski sits at roughly 28.0%. Election night saw initial projections favor Malinowski, including a call from Decision Desk HQ and congratulations from the Democratic National Committee, but a surge in same-day Election Day votesâparticularly in Morris Countyâreversed the trend and prompted retraction of the early call. Mejia, backed by figures like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has campaigned on bold left-wing policies, while Malinowski positioned himself as a moderate; heavy ad spending against Malinowski by AIPAC-linked groups may have inadvertently aided Mejiaâs rise. Ballots including provisionals and late mail-ins remain uncounted, leaving the outcome undecided and potentially unresolved for days.
Sources: The Washington Examiner, New Jersey Globe
đ° Washington Post Axes 300 Jobs in Brutal Zoom Purge
The Washington Post directed hundreds of staffers to work from home on a recent Wednesday before summoning them to a company-wide Zoom meeting where executives announced the immediate termination of roughly 300 employees, amounting to nearly one-third of the workforce; the cuts eliminated entire sections including sports and books, along with the Post Reports podcast, as part of broader restructuring efforts amid ongoing industry pressures.
Sources: The Daily Wire, FOX News
đ Nearly 2,000 Unfit Truckers Pulled from U.S. Roads in Safety Crackdown
The U.S. Department of Transportation, through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, removed nearly 2,000 unqualified commercial drivers from the roads during a three-day Operation SafeDRIVE enforcement blitz from January 13-15 across 26 states and D.C. Officials conducted over 8,200 inspections, resulting in 704 drivers placed out of service for failing to meet qualification standards, including roughly 500 who did not satisfy English proficiency requirements. The operation also led to 1,231 vehicles being put out of service and 56 arrests on charges such as DUI, with the effort aimed at curbing dangerous behaviors and ensuring only properly qualified drivers operate on American highways.
Sources: News3 Las Vegas, The Epoch Times
âď¸Fourth Circuit Rejects Challenge to Trumpâs Anti-DEI Executive Orders
A federal appeals court has handed the Trump administration a clear win by vacating a lower courtâs preliminary injunction that had blocked key parts of executive orders aimed at eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in federal agencies and among government contractors and grant recipients. On February 6, 2026, a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, led by Chief Judge Albert Diaz (an Obama appointee), ruled that plaintiffsâincluding the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, the American Association of University Professors, and Baltimore city officialsâcould not succeed on broad facial constitutional challenges under the First and Fifth Amendments at this stage. The court found the ordersâ provisions, such as terminating equity-related funding and requiring certifications of compliance with anti-discrimination laws without unlawful DEI elements, were not unconstitutionally vague or violative of free speech on their face, emphasizing that the president can set policy priorities for funding decisions, though specific future applications remain open to challenge.
Sources: Reuters, The New York Post
đŁ Six Injured in Daylight Grenade Blast at Grenoble Beauty Salon
On February 6, 2026, in broad daylight shortly before 3 p.m., two masked men targeted a beauty salon on Boulevard Gambetta in central Grenoble, France. One suspect entered the premises and tossed an explosive deviceâdescribed by authorities as a blast device rather than a military-grade grenadeâinto the shop, shattering the window and causing minor injuries to six people, including a five-year-old child. The second suspect filmed the incident before both fled the scene. Firefighters treated the victims on site for issues related to the blast wave and debris, with no hospitalizations required. The local prosecutor indicated the attack appeared aimed at intimidation rather than lethality, given the deviceâs limited power, though suspects remain at large and police report some promising leads. Witnesses recounted chaos with screams and shattering glass following the loud explosion.
â ď¸ Trump Reserves Right to Militarily Secure Diego Garcia Base Amid Chagos Sovereignty Shift
President Trump stated on February 5, 2026, via Truth Social that, following productive talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, he views the UKâs deal to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius as perhaps the best possible outcome under the circumstances. The agreement, finalized in 2025, cedes control to Mauritius while granting a 99-year lease for the joint US-UK military facility on Diego Garcia, ensuring continued American operations at this key Indian Ocean strategic hub. Trump added a firm caveat: if the lease ever collapses or any party threatens US forces or activities there, the United States retains the right to militarily secure and reinforce its presence on the island. He dismissed potential challenges from environmental claims or other pretexts, underscoring the baseâs vital role in US national security and global power projection.
Sources: ZeroHedge, The Wall Street Journal
âď¸ U.S.-Iran Talks Continue Amid Reports of Iranâs Missile Site Repairs
U.S. and Iranian officials held indirect nuclear talks in Oman on February 6, 2026, marking the first such engagement since a 12-day conflict in June 2025 that involved strikes on Iranian facilities. Iranâs Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the discussions a âgood startâ focused exclusively on the nuclear program, with agreement to potentially resume meetings after consultations in capitals, while the U.S. side, including envoys like Steve Witkoff, sought broader coverage including ballistic missiles and regional proxies but appeared to narrow scope for this round. Satellite imagery analysis indicates Iran has prioritized rapid repairs to numerous ballistic missile facilities damaged in prior strikes, with construction at over half of two dozen affected sites and quicker progress there compared to slower, limited fixes at major nuclear installations, underscoring Tehranâs emphasis on restoring deterrence capabilities through missiles even as nuclear reconstitution lags.
Sources: Legal Insurrection, Reuters
đď¸ Cuba Closes Beach Resorts Amid Worsening Fuel Shortages
Cuba has begun closing select beach resorts and consolidating tourists into fewer facilities as severe fuel shortages, triggered by U.S. efforts to block oil shipments, ripple through the tourism sector and broader economy. At least two major resorts on Cayo Coco are shutting down as early as this weekend due to gasoline shortages preventing employees from commuting to work, with around 200 guests being relocated to nearby properties; the government describes this as an âefficiency and facility consolidation planâ to cut energy use and maintain service during the crisis, while tourismâone of the islandâs key revenue sourcesâcontinues to suffer from these shortages compounded by ongoing blackouts and supply disruptions.
Sources: ZeroHedge, Financial Post
đ Soros Heir Lauds Spainâs Mass Migrant Amnesty Plan
Alex Soros, heir to the billionaire globalist network, has publicly cheered Spanish Prime Minister Pedro SĂĄnchez for pushing through a decree granting temporary residency and work rights to up to 500,000 undocumented migrants who arrived before late 2025, provided they have lived in Spain for 5 months and have a clean record. The move, rammed through without a full parliamentary vote, aims to bolster Spainâs economy by formalizing labor in key sectors, but has drawn sharp criticism from the right as a reckless invitation to more border chaos. Alex Soros called it a display of âreal leadershipâ with âprincipled and pragmaticâ policies, adding that more leaders should follow suit, which fits the pattern of elite applause for open-border schemes that regular folks often see as prioritizing outsiders over citizens.