Posts on Friday, February 13, 2026

The Fifth Circuit just handed Texas a major win on ballot harvesting, reversing a lower court and allowing the state’s ban on paid in-person ballot harvesting to take effect. The ruling clears the way for enforcement of a key provision in S.B. 1, the 2021 election integrity law signed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R). The statute targets compensated political operatives who interact with voters while they are physically handling ballots. The law defines “vote harvesting services” as: “in-person interaction with one or more voters, in the physical presence of an official ballot or a ballot voted by mail, intended to deliver votes for a specific candidate or measure.”

Consumer prices rose 2.4 percent over the past year and 0.2 percent in January alone, according to data released Friday by the Labor Department. The latest consumer price index (CPI) report, which was delayed by the brief government shutdown earlier this month, showed inflation coming in below expectations. Economists expected the annual inflation rate to fall to 2.5 percent in January from 2.7 percent in December, and monthly inflation to hold steady at 0.3 percent, according to consensus estimates. The new inflation figures are a boost to President Trump and Republicans as they face pressure to show progress against rising prices.

Internal communications from the Obama Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) show that staffers rushed to publish a landmark climate regulation at a plum time for political messaging and [were] imagining "green hugs" with green groups ahead of the announcement. The regulation, known as the Endangerment Finding, expanded the definition of harmful air pollutants to include greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and therefore allows the EPA to regulate them under the Clean Air Act. The EPA proposed a rule to rescind it in July 2025 (snip), a decision critics have previously told the Daily Caller News Foundation would be a boon for key industries and consumer choice.

The Minnesota State Patrol quietly limited the ability of its troopers to contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during traffic stops involving suspected illegal immigrants, multiple sources tell Alpha News. (snip) The State Patrol makes more than 300,000 traffic stops each year. Multiple state troopers (snip) explained that the new directive came down sometime during during the summer of 2024 -- around when Walz was running for vice president. (snip) "There's no written policy and that's the point," one trooper said. (snip) The source said state troopers routinely pull people over who don't speak English and have no ID.

Unless Virginia voters reject the new congressional district plan created and passed by a Democrat legislature and signed by a “moderate” Democrat governor, Republicans are set to lose four congressional seats they currently hold. The new map allows only one of Virginia’s 11 districts to be represented by a Republican, despite Republicans representing almost half of the Virginia electorate. Meanwhile, Republicans in Indiana refused to redraw their congressional maps because of “principle.” The contrast between Indiana and Virginia gets to the heart of the GOP’s biggest problem.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky insisted “no one is clinging to power” and he is ready to hold national elections, but insists there will be no vote without a ceasefire and solid security guarantees from the U.S., making a vote any time soon unlikely. The possibility of fresh elections in Ukraine to both get the public’s approval for a peace deal, and renew President Volodymyr Zelensky’s democratic mandate or choose a successor, suddenly burst into the open this week but was quickly tampered down by Kyiv.

A San Diego children’s hospital has been ordered to continue providing gender-affirming care to minors —despite a previous effort from the hospital to end the programs to save its federal funding. Rady Children’s Health must continue providing the care, which includes therapies like puberty-blockers and hormone treatments, to patients under 19 until at least March 10, in a ruling from San Diego Superior Court Judge Matthew Braner Wednesday. The decision comes amid a heated legal fight between the hospital and the California Attorney General’s Office. The AJ sued Rady after it announced it would stop offering the treatments and procedures.

Highlighting how the various anti-Trump factions of the Republican apparatus are using the Epstein drama to support their specific needs, Representative Nancy Mace announces yesterday she will use Epstein drama to, “go full blown scorched earth for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and his friends. With no regard to our personal, or professional detriment.” The background and political timeline hold the key to understanding the mooonbat crazy of it all. Thursday morning South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster endorsed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette to succeed him when he leaves office at the end of the year. {LINK} This triggered the generally unstable Nancy Mace into an explosive fit of rage,

Former White House legal counsel/fixer to Barack Obama, and former personal lawyer/fixer of Susan Rice, Kathryn Ruemmler was Chief Legal Counsel for Goldman Sachs for the past six years. Throughout those jobs and networked professional relationships, Kathryn Ruemmler was also a personal friend and advisor to Jeffrey Epstein. Yesterday it was reported that Kathryn Ruemmler has resigned from Goldman Sachs. NEW YORK – Goldman Sachs’s top lawyer, Kathryn Ruemmler, resigned on Thursday in the wake of the Justice Department’s release of emails and other material that revealed her extensive relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier.

Russia announced it will limp to Cuba's rescue as the island bastion of communism in the Caribbean faces a complete economic breakdown due directly to President Trump cutting off black market Venezuelan oil supplies. Cuba has been an economic basketcase for decades, with its only exports being failed revolutionaries and miserable migrants. That situation changed markedly for the worse in early January when the U.S. military launched Operation Absolute Resolve; see Trump Announces Venezuelan Leader Nicolas Maduro and His Wife Captured Following ‘Large Scale’ US Strike – RedState. At first, Cuba was pretty defiant, but then they all are.

Kristi Noem knew she needed a reset. It was two days after federal agents had shot and killed Alex Pretti, and Noem was facing fire from all sides. Even some inside the administration were pushing President Trump to remove her from her position for her handling of the chaotic immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis and comments she’d made saying Pretti committed an act of domestic terrorism. So Noem’s top adviser, Corey Lewandowski, messaged Trump’s pollster with a request: They needed to cut an ad to help her, according to two people familiar with the episode.

As British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces calls to resign for his appointment of Epstein-tied Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States, one is struck by the sudden instability of British governments. In the 28 years between 1979 and 2007, Britain had only three prime ministers, while in the 19 years since 2007, it has had seven, and may soon have eight. Only one of those, David Cameron, carried his party to a reelection victory, and he resigned a year after being beaten in the Brexit referendum. It's not just leaders who have stumbled. Even historically long-lasting parties have.

On Wednesday evening, the US House of Representatives voted to once again pass the SAVE America Act, the critical legislation that requires proof of citizenship and voter ID to vote in federal elections. The final vote was 218-213, with only one brave Democrat, Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), crossing the aisle to vote in favor of protecting our elections. But the real battle is in the Senate, and the momentum is shifting fast. Just days ago, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) tried to dump cold water on the bill, reportedly dismissing the effort by claiming, “There aren’t anywhere close to the votes.” Thune, who initially hadn’t even signed on—

This week’s Japanese Diet election produced a stunning outcome as the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, secured a historic landslide victory in a snap election for the House of Representatives. With 316 out of 465 seats—a supermajority not seen from a single party in the postwar era—Takaichi’s gamble on an early vote amid winter weather paid off spectacularly. Just as stunning was how Takaichi scored this enormous win as one of President Trump’s strongest allies, contradicting claims by the mainstream media and many European leaders that President Trump’s strong foreign and economic policies are eroding America’s relationships with its allies.

Trade shapes power structures, and when two economies tighten bonds, the ripple spreads far beyond shipping lanes and customs desks. On Feb. 12, 2026, the Trump administration finalized a sweeping trade agreement with Taiwan that cuts tariffs, boosts American exports, and pours hundreds of billions into U.S. industry. Taiwan agreed to eliminate or sharply reduce tariffs on nearly all American goods, as duties on U.S. beef, dairy, and corn were reduced immediately to 0%. Pork belly tariffs fell from 40% to 10%, and ham fell from 32% to 10%. Taiwan also removed non-tariff barriers on motor vehicles, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals, accepting U.S. safety standards in those sectors.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is signaling that if there is to be an investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, it should come from Congress rather than the Justice Department. According to exclusive reporting from Semafor, Bessent raised in a closed-door meeting with Senate Republicans the idea that the Senate Banking Committee could investigate Powell rather than leaving the matter to federal prosecutors. This is not a minor procedural debate. It is a fight over whether scrutiny of the Federal Reserve is framed as a criminal matter or as congressional oversight, and that distinction carries real political and constitutional weight.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) is calling for the indictment of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) over accusations that he accepted campaign contributions from Somali fraudsters for helping them evade investigation by state and federal officials. During a Senate Homeland Security hearing on Thursday, Hawley grilled Ellison about a report from the New York Post published last year that accuses the top Minnesota official of taking campaign contributions from Somalis involved in the Feeding Our Future fraud scandal,

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers on Thursday that it believes the teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is close to being designated as the country’s future leader as he moves to extend the family dynasty to a fourth generation. The assessment by the National Intelligence Service comes as North Korea is preparing to hold its biggest political conference later this month, where Kim is expected to outline his major policy goals for the next five years and take steps to tighten his authoritarian grip. In a closed-door briefing, NIS officials said they are closely monitoring whether Kim’s daughter

California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton has claimed $370 million in state funds meant for substance abuse programs instead went to helping the Democrats. The staggering sum, sourced from the California Cannabis Tax Fund, was sent to a tangled web of organizations that “build the Democrat voter base,” Hilton’s unofficial CAL DOGE alleged.The cash, collected whenever anyone buys marijuana in the Golden State, ended up with 517 companies who got checks averaging $700,000, the group alleged. The money was controlled by Elevate Youth California, which was supposed to send taxes raised from cannabis sales under Prop 64 to support substance abuse programs in the state.

Another billionaire, this time Mark Zuckerberg, has fled the Golden State. There are still plenty left. But the trickle could quickly turn into a flood if voters and lawmakers continue to punish the rich. At what point, one wonders, will it be too late for the state to abandon the path to destruction that it chose to take many years ago? Zuckerberg follows Peter Thiel, Sergey Brin and Larry Page as recent ex-pats. He and his wife are reportedly relocating in income-tax-free Florida. The exodus is clearly in response to the probability that voters will approve a special tax on billionaires this fall. Most reports

Judge Boasberg strikes again! On Thursday, he issued a follow-up to his December 22, 2025, order commanding the Trump administration to facilitate the return of those Tren de Aragua members who were removed from the U.S. in March and sent to El Salvador so that they can contest that removal. This one spells out what Boasberg expects the administration to do to remedy the situation. To review that December ruling, Boasberg, after determining that he has jurisdiction over the matter, ordered the administration to facilitate the plaintiffs' return to the U.S. to provide them "a meaningful opportunity" to contest their designation as TdA members and the proclamation’s validity.

The Trump administration demanded answers from 7-Eleven’s COO following an altercation where U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino and federal agents were denied service at a Minneapolis gas station in late January. Michael Lynch, deputy administrator of the General Services Administration, sent a letter to Doug Rosencrans, 7-Eleven’s COO, on Feb. 5 requesting any information from a potential internal investigation into the altercation. Lynch noted that a federal government partnership could be in jeopardy between the Trump administration and the world's largest international chain of convenience stores. "As 7-Eleven, Inc./Speedway LLC locations accept the GSA SmartPay fleet card for fuel and other authorized purchases on behalf of Federal fleets

Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is bringing cursive back to schools. Shapiro signed a bill requiring a cursive handwriting curriculum in all Pennsylvania public schools, Wednesday. The bill, introduced by Republican Pennsylvania Rep. Dane Watro, was co-sponsored by three Democrats and fifteen Republicans. “I’m definitely rusty, but I think my penmanship was okay!” Shapiro’s office wrote on Facebook, posting a photo of Shapiro’s cursive signature. Pennsylvania’s former education secretary, Khalid Mumin, “said cursive instruction is not vital for public classrooms,” according to Penn Live Patriot-News.

The right-wing coalition government in Sweden has announced plans to significantly increase the threshold to obtain citizenship in the country, including a prohibition on migrants who fail to learn the native language. The Swedish Ministry of Justice said this week that a series of new citizenship requirements will take effect by June 6th of this year. The ministry said that the measures will seek to “strengthen the importance of citizenship and increase incentives for individuals to become part of Swedish society, which also strengthens the Swedish community.” According to the MoJ, the government will require migrants to live in the country for at least eight years to become eligible for citizenship,

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was ridiculed on social media Thursday after he proposed providing small businesses “feeling the effects” of President Trump’s immigration crackdown with a $10 million “relief package.” Walz’s proposal would provide forgivable loans ranging from $2,500 to $25,000 to Minnesota businesses that can “demonstrate substantial revenue loss during specified dates” tied to Operation Metro Surge, according to the Democratic governor’s office. Critics of the plan quickly pointed out that the North Star State has been plagued with fraud scandals which President Trump claims have cost taxpayers more than $19 billion – and that Walz’s proposal would invite more theft.

Chaos erupted Thursday at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee oversight hearing when Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley confronted Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison over the astounding levels of fraud uncovered in the state just months ago. During the contentious exchange, Hawley accused Ellison of blatant corruption, alleging he worked with individuals later convicted in the scandal to shield them from investigators, and accepted a $10,000 campaign contribution from them just nine days after pledging to assist their cause.

Democrats have a natural advantage going into the midterms. Their voters are in a frenzy, and the midterms have historically favored the out-of-power party. Presidential years tend to be high-turnout elections, and off-years not so much. And since elections are won by margins, every bit of voter motivation matters. Getting a larger share of your voters to the polls can make all the difference, even in situations where the majority of people disagree with you. You need the majority of people who VOTE to win, not the majority of people who have an opinion. With all that said, the Democrats face one very big problem:

Yesterday I wrote about concerns from economists that the quick adoption of AI might mean a significant disruption of the job market. There seemed to be a wary realization that AI was probably going to do away with some jobs permanently but whether that change would necessarily create a crisis in the marketplace depended on how fast the change happened. If it took ten years, they the economy would adjust. If it took half that, we might have a problem. Today, Axios has a story highlighting concerns coming not from economists but from people inside the AI industry, several of whom have recently expressed serious concern about how fast things were

It's time for another look at the Protection Racket Media and the trust its consumers have in their product. And as Chubby Checker once sang, how low can you go? Before we get to the data, let's set the context. The Washington Post just shed a third of its employees as both revenue and readership have cratered in the last few years. CNN has lost two-thirds of its audience. Previous surveys show trust in media somewhere below used-car sales agents and slightly above Congress. Meanwhile, Paramount put CBS News in the hands of Bari Weiss to rescue them from last place in broadcast news, and just like at the WaPo and

“The vice president asked me to call you.” That’s a new pitch line Republican National Committee finance operatives are deploying this cycle, thanks to JD Vance’s unprecedented role as the party’s finance chairman — the first sitting vice president to hold the position. President Trump blessed the arrangement last March, tapping his second in command as the party’s chief fundraiser. Now, as the campaign season accelerates, Vance is ready to prove his worth. The vice president will headline high-dollar events in Manhattan on February 17 and McLean, Va., on March 3, National Review has learned.