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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.

BumRushDaShow

Trump 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.

dalton99a

A 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.

Mr. Sparkle

ICE 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.

KS Toronado

Friday's Valentine Cartoon Special

BumRushDaShow

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.

turbinetree

GOP 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

jmbar2

Trump 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.

BlueWaveNeverEnd

'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.

douglas9

Laughing 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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Virginia Supreme Court rules redistricting can go forward

1 min ago - Supreme Court of Virginia greenlights redistricting referendum The Supreme Court of Virginia on Friday agreed to allow Democratic lawmakers’ mid-decade redistricting attempt to move forward, announcing it will hear the case on an expedited basis ... (Virginia Mercury newspaper)

Democrats Launch Major Push in Key Swing States Ahead of Midterms

10 min ago - Published Feb 13, 2026 at 11:46 AM EST updated Feb 13, 2026 at 11:47 AM EST Democrats are launching a major campaigns push in the key swing states of North Carolina and Arizona, to boost their party's chance of electoral success in the upcoming midte ... (Newsweek)

Homeland Security Wants Social Media Sites to Expose Anti-ICE Accounts

27 min ago - The Department of Homeland Security is expanding its efforts to identify Americans who oppose Immigration and Customs Enforcement by sending tech companies legal requests for the names, email addresses, telephone numbers and other identifying data be ... (NYT)

Trump says he will issue executive order to get voter ID requirements before midterms

40 min ago - Published Fri, Feb 13 2026 4:51 PM EST Updated 8 Min Ago President Donald Trump on Friday said he will “shortly” issue an executive order laying out the “legal reasons” for national voter-identification requirements. Trump, in pos ... (CNBC)

Hispanic Caucus warns Minneapolis: Trump aide Homan lied about ICE drawdowns before

1 hr ago - 10h WASHINGTON — Border czar Tom Homan’s goodwill tour continues, but members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus aren’t buying it. In Minneapolis on Thursday, Homan — who as an aide to President Donald Trump has vowed to “ ... (msn/Rawstory)

Kristi Noem Abruptly Ends Presser After Being Pressed on Laser Strike on Party Balloons

1 hr ago - Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem abruptly ended a Friday news conference on election security after she was questioned about the Tuesday late-night closure of El Paso’s airspace and whether U.S. Customs and Border Protection “actuall ... (Mediaite)

Former CNN journalist Don Lemon pleads not guilty in St. Paul church demonstration case

1 hr ago - Posted 1 hour and 52 minutes ago and last updated 1 hour and 5 minutes ago Don Lemon, an independent journalist who formerly worked for CNN, has pled not guilty to charges of violating federal civil rights protections when a protest interrupted a wor ... (Scripps News)

Denmark to provide four F-35 fighter jets to NATO's Arctic Sentry

1 hr ago - February 13, 2026 COPENHAGEN, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Denmark will provide four F-35 fighter jets to NATO's Arctic Sentry mission, Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said on Friday. NATO said on Wednesday it had launched the mission to strengthen ... (reuters)

OpenAI Users Launch Movement to Save Most Sycophantic Version of ChatGPT

2 hrs ago - OpenAI has ruined Valentine’s Day for the saddest people you know. As of today, the company is officially deprecating and shutting off access to several of its older models, including GPT-4o—the model that has become infamous as the version ... (Gizmodo)

ICE says federal agents appear to have lied about confrontation that led to shooting

2 hrs ago - 02/13/2026 02:37 PM EST Two federal officers appear to have lied about an incident last month in Minneapolis that ended with one of them shooting a Venezuelan immigrant in the leg, ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons said Friday. The two officers are und ... (Politico)

Exclusive: White House uses USAID funds for budget director Vought's security, documents show

2 hrs ago - February 13, 2026 6:02 AM EST Updated 3 hours ago WASHINGTON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - The White House budget office is using millions of dollars from the former U.S. foreign aid agency to pay for the security detail of Russell Vought, President Donald Tru ... (Reuters)

Columbia removes staff who gave place to Epstein's girlfriend

2 hrs ago - Columbia University has cut ties with administrators they say helped admit Jeffrey Epstein’s girlfriend to its dental school through “an irregular process”. Documents released by the US Justice Department as part of the Epstein files a ... (The Times (UK))

San Francisco teachers end 4-day strike with predawn deal

2 hrs ago - Union celebrates win on healthcare and substantial raises. Superintendent warns layoffs are ‘on the table’ in coming years. by Joe Rivano Barros February 13, 2026, 5:54 am The San Francisco teachers strike, the city’s first in nearly h ... (Mission Local)

Social Security Workers Are Being Told to Hand Over Appointment Details to ICE

2 hrs ago - Workers at the Social Security Administration (SSA) have been told to share information about in-person appointments with agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), WIRED has learned. “If ICE comes in and asks if someone has an upcomin ... (Wired)

US justice department sues Harvard over admissions records access

2 hrs ago - The Department of Justice filed a new lawsuit against Harvard University, accusing it of failing to hand over documents and comply with a federal investigation into alleged racial discrimination in its admissions process, in the latest escalation of ... (The Guardian)

Amazon scraps partnership with surveillance company after Super Bowl ad backlash

2 hrs ago - Updated 11:38 AM EST, February 13, 2026 Amazon’s smart doorbell maker Ring has terminated a partnership with police surveillance tech company Flock Safety. The announcement follows a backlash that erupted after 30-second Ring ad that aired duri ... (AP)

US Reveals $38 Billion Plan to Transform How It Detains Migrants

3 hrs ago - February 13, 2026 at 1:14 PM EST Updated on February 13, 2026 at 1:34 PM EST The Trump administration is moving ahead with a $38.3 billion plan to remake the US immigration detention system, in a sweeping expansion that officials say will streamline ... (Bloomberg)

US spent $40 million on roughly 300 deportations to third nations, Democratic report finds

3 hrs ago - By STEPHEN GROVES and MATTHEW LEE Updated 7:06 AM CST, February 13, 2026 Leer en español WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration spent at least $40 million to deport roughly 300 migrants to countries other than their own as immigratio ... (AP)

Two top aides to RFK Jr. leaving HHS as part of leadership shakeup

3 hrs ago - Updated Feb 13, 2026, 12:15 PM ET PUBLISHED Feb 13, 2026, 11:18 AM ET Two top aides to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are leaving the US Department of Health and Human Services, according to three people familiar with the moves. HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O ... (CNN Health)

Trump administration ends temporary protected status for Yemeni nationals

4 hrs ago - Fri 13 Feb 2026 12.32 EST Last modified on Fri 13 Feb 2026 13.10 EST The Trump administration has ended temporary protected status (TPS) for Yemeni nationals in the US, the secretary of homeland security, Kristi Noem, said on Friday, the latest move ... (The Guardian/Reuters)