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February 13, 2026
New Fed report confirms what most economists warned about: Americans pay for Trump's tariffs
(Market Realist) President Donald Trump's tariffs were proposed as a way to collect high revenue on imports into the U.S. from exporters abroad. It was even suggested that the money collected through them could be distributed to Americans as a $2,000 payout. But as of now, the tariffs are significantly impacting American consumers, who are burdened by rising prices amid lower pay. While Trump claims that inflation has been defeated and the economy is booming, rising prices of essentials tell another story. This has been proved by a recent research by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. "Nearly 90% of the economic burden is borne by American businesses and consumers, with the average U.S. tariff on imports rising to 13% in 2025 from less than 3%," the study noted.
Go to discussionTrump judge slams DHS for blocking detainees' access to lawyers
(Axios) A Trump-appointed federal judge said immigration enforcement agencies "violated noncitizen detainees' constitutional" rights at a Minnesota facility in a scathing ruling on Thursday. U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel's ruling that "policies and practices" at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building "all but extinguish a detainee's access to counsel" marked the 45th time that a judge nominated by President Trump had ruled against his mass detention agenda, per a Politico review.
Go to discussionA pilot fired over Kristi Noem's missing blanket and the constant chaos inside DHS
(Wall Street Journal) Throughout her tenure as secretary of Homeland Security, a sprawling agency charged with carrying out Trump’s central campaign promise of a mass deportation, Noem has attempted to burnish her personal stardom at every turn. With Lewandowski, Trump’s former campaign manager, at her side, she has staged a headline grabbing immigration crackdown while sidelining rivals and dissenters.
Go to discussionICE Barbie's Mile-High Privacy With Alleged Lover Exposed
(Daily Beast) Kristi Noem and rumored lover Corey Lewandowski are traveling through the skies in a luxury jet meant for “high-profile deportations”—complete with a private cabin in back. The 737 MAX airliner is being leased by the Department of Homeland Security, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, but Noem’s department is expected to buy it for about $70 million. That amount, according to the outlet, is twice as much as all seven other planes that DHS is buying for deportations.
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Democrats launch probe into organization leading White House efforts to celebrate nation's 250th birthday
(The Hill) A handful of Democratic senators on Wednesday launched a probe into a private group that is co-leading America's 250th anniversary celebration. The Freedom 250 group is working alongside the America250 commission, which was congressionally authorized more than a decade ago to plan a nonpartisan, civic-focused commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding. "Recent reporting indicates that Freedom 250 is soliciting large private donations while offering donors exclusive access and other benefits tied to the President," the senators wrote in their letter to Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff.
Go to discussionGOP Senator took donations from Epstein conspirator before voting to block files: report
(Raw Story) A Republican Senator from Ohio voted to block the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files after receiving a campaign donation from one of the convicted sex criminal's co-conspirators, according to a report. Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) received a $3,500 donation from Leslie Wexner, the former founder of Victoria's Secret, just three months before he voted to block a Senate resolution that would have forced President Donald Trump's administration to release the files earlier than they did, TiffinOhio reported on Thursday. Overall, Husted has taken more than $116,000 in campaign donations from Wexner at 21 different points between 2001 and 2025, according to the report
Go to discussionTrump Pardon Buries FBI's Secret Work for Putin's Oligarchs
(Byline Times) In 15 January 2026, President Donald Trump pardoned a former FBI counterintelligence agent who had refused to testify about his work for Oleg Deripaska and Dmitry Rybolovlev – two Russian oligarchs with direct ties to Vladimir Putin’s inner circle. The pardon came six months after the daughter of the former agent’s co-defendant, Julio Herrera Velutini, donated $3.5 million to Trump-aligned super PACs. The decision permanently sealed the record of services US intelligence officials secretly provided for sanctioned Russian networks.
Go to discussion'Very sad': Ousted Trump official's tweet storm brutally ridiculed by GOP analysts
A pair of GOP analysts were flabbergasted on Thursday by former Customs and Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino's "gross' and "very sad" tweet storm. Bovino sent off a series of posts on X last night, in which he made strange comments, like asking a reporter covering President Donald Trump's deportation forces to make him a pie and telling an anonymous MAGA account he wanted to try beaver meat. Bovino also admitted to having tried raccoon meat during the tirade.
Go to discussionLaughing ICE Goons Seize Dad Who Fled Ukraine War at Walmart
(Daily Beast) A Ukrainian dad escaped Vladimir Putin’s drone and missile attacks back home only to be grabbed by a band of ICE stooges in a Walmart parking lot in Minneapolis. “I hoped I would find peace in America. I’ve done everything the government required, I don’t understand why I am behind bars,” Dmytro Kulyk told the Daily Beast from the Kandiyohi County Jail in Willmar, Minnesota. Kulyk legally entered the U.S. in late 2023 along with his wife, 38, and daughter, who’s now 5.
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