NASHVILLE — California’s Democrat governor and potential 2028 presidential candidate Gavin Newsom began his nationwide book tour in a red state on Saturday night, but he didn’t use the night to continue his move to the center.
The event was moderated by Justin Kanew of the leftist media outlet the Tennessee Holler, whose disdain for the Trump administration and conservative policies was also made evident multiple times. Throughout the evening, the Newsom weaved back and forth between discussing the book and his life journey and raging against President Donald Trump and Republicans.
Newsom spent much of his time pushing the typical Democratic talking points, such as calling out Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations and criticizing Republican-led efforts to pass strict voter ID requirements through the Save America Act. But the governor also echoed some rhetoric from the far-Left wing of the party, saying that America&#8217;s economic system &#8220;fundamentally has to be reformed.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;re talking about trillionaires now, not billionaires, so this isn&#8217;t working for enough folks. If you&#8217;re 30 years old, you&#8217;re the first generation in American history that&#8217;s not doing better than their parents,&#8221; Newsom said. &#8220;So Bernie [Sanders] is right in that respect. Donald Trump was right, but he exploited it, and he has not done a damn thing to solve it and he&#8217;s just making it worse.&#8221;
&#8220;So the system fundamentally has to be reformed,&#8221; he added.
Newsom also agreed with Kanew that the next Democratic president should be more aggressive with executive actions.
&#8220;We are capable of doing much more,&#8221; he said.
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The evening, which focused on Newsom&#8217;s new memoir, &#8220;Young Man in a Hurry,&#8221; drew hundreds of people. It also allowed Newsom an opportunity to inform Democratic voters about his background and personal life. The California governor remains the betting favorite to win the 2028 Democratic nomination.
Newsom touted his own record on the economy as governor and boasted about signing legislation that is set to increase the minimum wage in California to $20 per hour for fast food workers and $25 per hour for many health care workers. He then blasted other states, hinting at Tennessee, for not raising their minimum wages. Newsom did not address <a href="https://epionline.org/release/new-data-staggering-16000-jobs-lost-under-newsoms-20-fast-food-wage-law/">data</a> that shows that numerous restaurants in California cut thousands of jobs and raised prices after the minimum wage hike.
Newsom expressed concern that Trump is attempting to hijack the 2026 midterm elections through his push for redistricting, ICE operations, and the Save America Act, but he remained optimistic that Democrats would take control of the House after the midterms.
&#8220;Donald Trump&#8217;s presidency de facto ends as we know it in November of this year when Speaker [Hakeem] Jeffries gets the gavel. It does. That&#8217;s going to happen,&#8221; he said.
The moderator then asked Newsom, &#8220;Are the elections going to matter? Is [Trump] going to steal the election? He&#8217;s going after the Georgia ballots, he&#8217;s already planning to surround the polls with ICE, so obviously voter suppression is on his mind because he knows he can&#8217;t necessarily win.&#8221;
Newsom agreed with the concerns brought up by Kanew and mentioned how former Trump adviser Steve Bannon has called for ICE agents to surround polling places in November. Bannon, who is now a podcast host, has not advised Trump since 2017. Acting ICE director Todd Lyons <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgE7QZnfBLQ">told</a> Congress earlier this month that &#8220;there&#8217;s no reason to use ICE officers&#8221; in that situation.
The governor&#8217;s criticism of ICE again on Saturday night comes a month after he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/months-after-violent-riots-newsom-claims-that-california-cooperates-with-ice">admitted</a> to Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro that it was &#8220;fair&#8221; to criticize his office for calling ICE agents terrorists.
Newsom’s admission came after Shapiro told the governor that accusing ICE of terrorism “makes our politics worse” and “our ICE officers are obviously not terrorists.”
Newsom stated bluntly on Saturday that he opposes the Republicans&#8217; Save America Act, which would require voters to provide proof of citizenship when they register to vote. The governor suggested the Save America Act would prevent Americans from voting because many people don&#8217;t have a passport or their birth certificate.
&#8220;It&#8217;s not about voter ID, the Save Act is not about that. It&#8217;s about registration. It&#8217;s about proving your citizenship with a passport. Not everyone has a passport,&#8221; Newsom said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t know where &#8230; do you know where your birth certificate is? I lost that at seven. I don&#8217;t even know where to begin to get it back.&#8221;<iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/NuWCjZUU5HcPe7Ha2Xx6n8QNPAYHCWXY?metadata-video-content-type=embed_video&amp;metadata-video-id=6df59e3f-eeca-485c-a714-f8fb159d69dd&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=26-02-21%3A%20Newsom%20On%20Voter%20ID&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fembedded-videos%2F18fd6908-01d7-4810-a482-ceb5ab3abdf7.png&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The crowd, which gathered at an event space in west Nashville, consisted mostly of middle-aged and elderly people.

Gavin Newsom

In Tennessee, Gavin Newsom Sprints To The Far-Left

California

Tennessee

In Michigan, late winter and early spring are unpredictable. It’s a time of year when the state could get buried under a foot of snow at the beginning of a week and then reach 60 degrees with sunshine by the weekend.
This year, Michigan&#8217;s unpredictable late winter season will also serve as an important gauge in a wide-open 2026 midterm Senate election. For the first time in the state’s history, the governor&#8217;s race and the U.S. Senate contest will both take place without an incumbent running in either election, thanks to the retirement of Democratic Senator Gary Peters. While the primary elections and the warm Michigan summer are still months away, the Michigan Senate race is already heating up.
The 2026 Senate election in Michigan could also serve as a bellwether for other important races across the country as the GOP looks to hold onto control in the upper chamber. Michigan remains a political paradox as a state that returned Trump to the White House in 2024 while simultaneously electing a Democrat to the Senate. In 2026, it once again remains a pure toss-up.
Recent elections have been brutal for Michigan Republican Senate candidates. The party hasn’t won a Senate race in the state since 1994 — when star athletes Isaiah Thomas and Barry Sanders were still playing in Detroit.
<h3>Strong Start For Republicans</h3>
Republicans are hoping for a breakthrough in this year’s Senate election with former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, a familiar name on the ballot in Michigan. Rogers ran for an open Senate seat in 2024, but despite voters pushing Trump over the edge in Michigan, Rogers lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin by just over 20,000 votes.
Asked if there is any lingering trepidation from the 2024 election loss, Rogers told The Daily Wire that he&#8217;s confident he has &#8220;enough votes in the bank to win this election.&#8221;
&#8220;We had over 100,000 people walk into the polls in 2024, vote for Donald Trump, and turn around and leave, didn&#8217;t vote for any other Republican,&#8221; Rogers said. &#8220;Here&#8217;s the good news: I got more Republican votes than any other statewide candidate for a state of Michigan office in the history of the state by 300,000 votes. So I have enough votes in the bank to win this election. We&#8217;ve just got to get people ginned up to get there.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_816855" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-816855" class="wp-image-816855 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/GettyImages-2166165020-1-864x576.jpg" alt="US Senate candidate Mike Rogers (R-MI) speaks before Republican Vice Presidential Nominee, Senator JD Vance to delivers remarks at Cordes, Inc. in Byron Center, Michigan, on August 14, 2024." width="864" height="576" />Mike Rogers (JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images)</div>
This year, Rogers once again boasts an endorsement from Trump, which came much earlier in the race than in 2024, marking him as the clear favorite to win the GOP primary. With the primary all but secure, Rogers is busy building a general election war chest as a crowded field of Democrats vie for the nomination. That&#8217;s a welcome development for the Rogers campaign, which fell far behind the Democrats in fundraising in 2024.
Rogers told The Daily Wire that he believes his campaign represents Republicans’ best chance to pick up a Senate seat in the 2026 midterms.
“Having President Trump’s endorsement early, having the Senate leadership support early, having our ground game organized early, all of that has made a tremendous difference,” he said. “And the result of that is that we’ve led in the last four current polls, which tells you in a state like Michigan, getting out a little bit early like this and having better ground game, better organization, better funding is really, really significant.”
Rogers said that after decades of Democratic control of both U.S. Senate seats in Michigan, residents are ready for “change.”
“People are fired up about this race, and they’re excited for change,” he said. “And why not have a voice of reason finally, after 30 years, representing somebody who actually started working on a factory floor and is now a candidate for Senate.”
As he gears up for a general election battle, Rogers is fine-tuning his messaging on the economy and the housing market, issues that President Trump has also focused on in recent months. Earlier this month, Rogers unveiled a plan to help Americans “unlock homeownership.” The Republican Senate candidate proposed expanding 529 savings plans to cover first-time home down payments and deferring student loan payments while saving for a down payment.
“The Democrats will find everything to be against. They don&#8217;t stand for much of anything for how to fix a problem,” Rogers said. “They know that I&#8217;ve fixed problems, and I&#8217;m going to fix problems when I become their next United States senator. That&#8217;s what people are fired up about.”
The Daily Wire asked Rogers about Americans&#8217; ongoing economic frustrations one year after Trump, who was largely elected on promises to fix those economic issues, was sworn in. Rogers said the Trump administration and Republicans are trying to fix &#8220;four years of really bad Democrat policies&#8221; under the Biden administration. The GOP Senate candidate specifically called out how former President Joe Biden&#8217;s policies affected Michigan autoworkers.
&#8220;They damn near put out of business two great American car companies with all these EV mandates. Even the Ford CEO came out and said it was the EV mandates that was the cause of the increase of cost for these cars,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Democrats have had years to do this damage. The Republicans and Donald Trump have had about a year to undo as much of that as possible.&#8221;
<h3>A Big Question Mark For Democrats</h3>
Three Democratic candidates are in a close primary race for the chance to face Rogers and maintain the Democratic Party’s dominance in Michigan Senate elections.
U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, state Senate leader Mallory McMorrow, and former health care director Dr. Abdul El-Sayed are at the top of the field in a crowded race. While Republicans are already focusing on the general election, the door remains wide open for Democrats. According to the most recent <a href="https://emersoncollegepolling.com/michigan-2026-poll-crowded-democratic-senate-primary-remains-wide-open/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">polling</a> from Emerson College, McMorrow leads the field at 22%, with Stevens coming in at 17% and El-Sayed standing at 16%. Nearly 40% of voters polled, however, remained undecided.
Each of the Democratic candidates is struggling to maintain momentum and has been hurt by recent controversies. A <a href="https://x.com/townhallcom/status/2001727745919680652?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2001727745919680652%7Ctwgr%5E8a533198239aecff6fa22f4f663189c37d2763b6%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fdem-senate-hopeful-says-shed-throw-beer-at-conservative-justices-lacks-self-control">video</a> published by conservative outlet Townhall in December shows McMorrow suggesting to supporters that she would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-senate-hopeful-says-shed-throw-beer-at-conservative-justices-lacks-self-control">throw beer</a> at conservative Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh if she saw them in public.
“I talked to somebody yesterday who said they saw her with Brett Kavanaugh at a tailgate last weekend. I was like, ‘I would not be able to control myself,&#8217;” McMorrow said. “That would be bad — there would be beers thrown in people’s faces.”
<div id="attachment_983569" style="width: 875px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-983569" class="wp-image-983569 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2166823388-865x576.jpg" alt="CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES - AUGUST 19: State Senator Mallory McMorrow, a Democrat from Michigan speaks during the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, United States on August 19, 2024." width="865" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2166823388-865x576.jpg 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2166823388-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2166823388-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2166823388.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px" />State Sen. Mallory McMorrow (Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)</div>
Stevens was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-dem-files-articles-of-impeachment-against-rfk-jr-and-even-her-own-party-is-trashing-her">criticized</a> by some Democratic leaders late last year after she filed articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr. According to The New York Times, some of Stevens Democratic colleagues viewed the move as a political stunt.
Stevens shot back, arguing that she’s “not one for political theater” and that she was “standing up for the health and safety of the people I represent.”
<div id="attachment_98743" style="width: 711px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-98743" class="wp-image-98743 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/03/Haley-Stevens.jpg" alt="Freshman Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D-MI), center, celebrates after being sworn in by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi for the 116th Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington DC on Thursday January 3, 2019. (Photo by Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images)" width="701" height="407" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/03/Haley-Stevens.jpg 701w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/03/Haley-Stevens-300x174.jpg 300w" sizes=" (max-width: 701px) 100vw, 701px" />Rep. Haley Stevens (Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images)</div>
In October, El-Sayed sent a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-senate-candidate-accuses-israel-of-invading-gaza-in-oct-7-fundraising-email">fundraising email</a> on the anniversary of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, but in the email, El-Sayed made no mention of the terror group’s atrocities and blamed Israel for launching “a ground invasion of Gaza.” After the email was sent, the Democratic candidate said that it was pushed out by mistake, and he released a separate statement on the anniversary of October 7 condemning Hamas for the “heinous attack,” but also accusing Israel of committing “genocide.”
El-Sayed, who was endorsed by democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-not-a-socialist-michigans-mamdani-has-the-lefts-new-playbook-but-doesnt-want-the-new-label">told</a> The Daily Wire last week that the email had been approved to go out, but was supposed to be sent on a different day.
“It went out, and I very quickly reached out to leaders in the Jewish community to apologize for having stepped on their grief,” he said, adding, “The message in the email is something I stand by.”
<div id="attachment_983129" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-983129" class="wp-image-983129 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1206289728-864x576.jpg" alt="Dr. Abdul El-Sayed speaks during a coronavirus public health roundtable with Senator Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont and 2020 presidential candidate, not pictured, in Romulus, Michigan, U.S., on Monday, March 9, 2020. Sanders said any eventual vaccine for the deadly novel coronavirus should be made available free of charge once developed and approved for use." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1206289728-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1206289728-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1206289728-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1206289728.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Dr. Abdul El-Sayed (Erin Kirkland/Bloomberg via Getty Images)</div>
The top Democratic candidates are already beating up on each other, and there are still months to go in the bitter primary battle before Michigan’s August 4 primary. In a forum hosted by the United Auto Workers in Detroit last week, the Democratic candidates clashed over multiple issues, including how far to the Left Michigan voters would be willing to go.
McMorrow, who is leading in early polls, suggested that El-Sayed — who is the farthest to the Left of the three Democrats — is focusing on “rhetoric” over delivering results, while arguing that Stevens is “too beholden to corporate interests.” During the forum, Stevens, who is viewed as most in line with the Democratic establishment and is endorsed by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, focused her attacks on Trump and Rogers, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/democrats-vying-michigan-senate-seat-clash-corporate-money-first-forum-rcna258221">reported</a>.
El-Sayed, meanwhile, ran to the Left of both McMorrow and Stevens, calling for “Medicare for all” and for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be “abolished,” stances he also discussed in a 20-minute phone conversation with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-not-a-socialist-michigans-mamdani-has-the-lefts-new-playbook-but-doesnt-want-the-new-label" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> last week.
The Daily Wire reached out to the campaigns of McMorrow and Stevens, requesting interviews, but they have not responded.
The race could ultimately come down to how well Republicans can maintain their focus on the general election and whether Rogers can maintain his fundraising advantage, as the Democrats battle it out for the nomination.
A lot can change in these political campaigns in a short amount of time — just like Michigan&#8217;s weather in late February.

Michigan Senate Race

The Senate Race Democrats Have Controlled For Decades — Now It’s Wide Open

2026 Midterms

Democrats

Michigan

Republicans

U.S. Senate

Two officers with the Detroit Police Department were suspended without pay for 30 days on Thursday for calling Customs and Border Protection agents on two separate occasions that resulted in the agents taking suspects into federal custody.
A Detroit Police sergeant and officer were accused by Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison of breaking department policy when they called Border Patrol agents during traffic stops on December 16 and February 9, ABC&#8217;s Detroit affiliate WXYZ <a href="https://www.wxyz.com/news/dpd-officer-sergeant-could-be-fired-after-calling-cbp-on-traffic-stops">reported</a>. Bettison pushed to fire the officers, but the Board of Police Commissioners voted on Thursday to suspend the cops without pay. The officers were initially suspended with pay on February 12.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement <a href="https://x.com/ICEgov/status/2024856403232403816">responded</a> to the development and told the suspended officers in a post on X, &#8220;We have a place for you, patriots.&#8221; Under its message, ICE posted the link to where people can apply to work for the agency.
While Detroit has not officially declared itself a &#8220;sanctuary city&#8221; for illegal immigrants, it effectively acts as on as the police are prohibited from cooperating with federal immigration agents. During the incident earlier this month, Detroit Police sergeant Denise Wallet was called to assist an officer who was dealing with a person who could not speak English. According to Chief Bettison, the sergeant called Border Patrol to help with translation services instead of using the police department&#8217;s translation service line.
Wallet, who has been with the department for 27 years, sued the city after she was suspended. In a complaint, Wallet said that she contacted Border Patrol simply to identify the suspect, &#8220;not to enforce immigration law or to inquire into the subject’s immigration status,&#8221; Michigan Advance <a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2026/02/20/detroit-cop-who-called-border-patrol-sues-city-to-keep-her-job-says-she-did-not-violate-policy/#:~:text=Currently%2C%20Detroit%20Police%20Department's%20policy,for%20translation%20services%20during%20stops.">reported</a>. Wallet&#8217;s action was discovered by the police department during a bodycam audit, which showed the sergeant make &#8220;a verbal comment expressing her disagreement with the DPD policy regarding immigration and collaboration with the federal government.&#8221;
In the complaint, Wallet argues that the police department&#8217;s policy violates federal law, which states that &#8220;no state or local government entity or official may prohibit or restrict any government entity or official from sending to, or receiving from, federal immigration authorities information regarding the citizenship or immigration status of any individual.&#8221; Wallet also argues that her due process rights were violated since she was suspended without being given an opportunity to defend herself.
Leftist Michigan Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib praised Chief Bettison for punishing the police officers.
&#8220;Chief Bettison and I agree that we need to make sure that our community and our residents trust the people who are trying to keep us safe,&#8221; Tlaib said.
Michigan House Republican leader Matt Hall, however, said that the Detroit Police Department&#8217;s action could prompt the state House to review the department&#8217;s policies, saying that firing the officers would be &#8220;unacceptable,&#8221; The Detroit News <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/02/19/michigan-house-detroit-police-officers-being-fired-for-calling-border-agents-immigration-detention/88760280007/">reported</a>.
After the board voted on Thursday to suspend the officers without pay, Bettison said he would no longer pursue firing the officers.
&#8220;This incident should make it clear, however, that as Chief, I will continue to vigorously enforce DPD&#8217;s policies,&#8221; he added.
While Detroit has not seen the same surge in federal immigration operations that cities like Minneapolis and Chicago have experienced, ICE agents <a href="https://bridgemi.com/michigan-government/ice-in-michigan-more-arrests-detainees-and-protests/">routinely arrest</a> suspected illegal immigrants in the Motor City and surrounding area.

Detroit Police

Detroit Police Officers Punished For Cooperating With Border Patrol. ICE Tells Them To Apply For Jobs.

Border Patrol

Detroit

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

President Donald Trump announced on Thursday night that his administration would provide $10 million in economic assistance to the East Palestine, Ohio, community as it continues to recover from the disastrous train derailment and chemical spill in 2023.
Trump vowed to &#8220;never&#8221; forget about the Americans affected by the derailment and blasted former President Joe Biden, saying he &#8220;betrayed&#8221; the residents of East Palestine. Trump&#8217;s move on Thursday came just after the third anniversary of the disaster, which forced some residents of the small Ohio community to leave their homes for months after toxic chemicals leaked into the ground and air.
&#8220;To the Great People of East Palestine, Ohio, who were disgracefully betrayed and forgotten about by Crooked Joe Biden — &#8216;TRUMP&#8217; has never forgotten about you, and never will!&#8221; he <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116100280662640693">wrote</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;In addition to our Administration’s Longterm Health Study for the benefit of the residents, we are providing $10 Million Dollars through the Economic Development Administration to help the Community continue its Economic Recovery from the disastrous train derailment.&#8221;
The Economic Development Administration, which is part of the Commerce Department, <a href="https://www.eda.gov/about">focuses</a> on investing in communities throughout the United States to &#8220;establish a foundation for long-term job growth and build durable regional economies.&#8221; The Daily Wire reached out to the Economic Development Administration for more information on Trump&#8217;s plan to pump $10 million into East Palestine&#8217;s local economy.
Trump added on Thursday, &#8220;We want to see East Palestine grow, flourish, and be able to take advantage of our now BOOMING Economy. It was horrible what was allowed to happen there, and we are with you for the LONG HAUL.&#8221;
The February 3, 2023, derailment spilled toxic and combustible chemicals, such as vinyl chloride, into the ground and water, and authorities conducted a controlled burn of the train cars carrying vinyl chloride to prevent a potentially massive explosion. The controlled burn released more chemicals into the air, and authorities in East Palestine and the surrounding areas advised residents to remain indoors.
The train disaster exacerbated an already growing economic problem in East Palestine, which was struggling to retain businesses amid a declining population. East Palestine&#8217;s population shrank from over 5,500 in the 1970s to around 4,700 at the 2020 census.
&#8220;There are a lot of businesses who have left our town, and we are in need of financial recovery and economic recovery,” Chris Page, the president of the East Palestine Community Improvement Corporation, <a href="https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/columbus/news/2026/02/04/east-palestine-economic-recovery-derailment">said</a> earlier this month.
Trump visited East Palestine shortly after the train derailment in February 2023, handing out water bottles and talking with citizens who were concerned about the future of their community. Trump&#8217;s visit to the small Ohio village drew a sharp contrast with then-President Joe Biden, who did not visit East Palestine until a year after the disaster.
“In too many cases, your goodness and perseverance were met with indifference and betrayal,” Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/three-years-after-east-palestine-the-fight-over-railway-legislation-chugs-along">said</a> at the time.
Along with the health and economic consequences of the disaster, some East Palestine residents also alleged in a lawsuit filed last year that the toxic chemical spill and burn-off led to the deaths of seven people, including a 1-week-old infant.
The wrongful death <a href="https://www.alleghenyfront.org/norfolk-southern-derailment-east-palestine-ohio-lawsuit-wrongful-death/">lawsuit</a>, which was filed against the Norfolk Southern railroad company, claims that contractors hired by the railroad company did not effectively clean up the toxic chemical waste and also alleges that the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention failed to properly warn residents about the health risks.
Norfolk Southern previously settled a class-action lawsuit with many East Palestine residents for a total of $600 million. In that settlement, residents within a 2-mile radius of the derailment received up to $70,000 for property damage and up to $25,000 for personal injuries. The plaintiffs in the wrongful death lawsuit, however, did not sign onto the class-action case that was settled.

Donald Trump

‘Never Forgotten’: Trump Delivers $10M To Community Still Haunted By Toxic Disaster

'Never Forgotten': Trump Hands Out $10M To East Palestine Community Recovering From Train Disaster

East Palestine

Ohio

Ohio Train Disaster

Trump Administration

The Supreme Court ruled on Friday that President Donald Trump exceeded his constitutional authority when he used the International Economic Emergency Powers Act to impose sweeping tariffs on most of the world.
In a long-anticipated <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-1287_4gcj.pdf">decision</a>, the court ruled 6-3 that Trump&#8217;s justification for the tariffs under the Emergency Powers Act went &#8220;beyond the President&#8217;s legitimate reach.&#8221; Chief Justice John Roberts was joined in the majority opinion by the three liberal justices, along with Trump-appointed Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch. Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Brett Kavanaugh dissented.
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The court rebuked Trump&#8217;s use of the International Economic Emergency Powers Act, or IEEPA, stating that the act passed by Congress in 1977 makes no mention of &#8220;tariffs&#8221; or &#8220;duties&#8221; in the &#8220;lengthy list of powers&#8221; given to the president.
&#8220;That omission is notable in light of the significant but specific powers Congress did go to the trouble of naming. It stands to reason that had Congress intended to convey the distinct and extraordinary power to impose tariffs, it would have done so expressly—as it consistently has in other tariff statutes,&#8221; the Supreme Court stated.
&#8220;We hold that IEEPA does not authorize the president to impose tariffs,&#8221; the majority added in the opinion written by Roberts.
Not all of Trump&#8217;s tariffs were struck down in the decision, as the president did not invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose certain tariffs on aluminum and steel. Trump&#8217;s so-called reciprocal tariffs on most of the world, including massive duties on China, are affected by the high court&#8217;s decision. Trump&#8217;s 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico over their failure to prevent fentanyl trafficking are also affected.
While the ruling is a loss for Trump, the White House believes there are other avenues for Trump to keep his tariffs in place. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in December that the president has three other avenues to impose the wide-ranging tariffs, pointing to provisions in the 1962 Trade Act that the administration could use to “recreate the exact tariff structure.”
Still, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act was the most effective way to impose global tariffs, according to Bessent.
“There are lots of other authorities that can be used, but IEEPA is by far the cleanest, and it gives the US and the president the most negotiating authority,” he said. “The others are more cumbersome, but they can be effective.”
Leading up to the decision, Trump warned of significant damage to the United States if the Supreme Court ruled against him. In a Truth Social post earlier this week, the president wrote, &#8220;Because of Tariffs, our Country is financially, AND FROM A NATIONAL SECURITY STANDPOINT, FAR STRONGER AND MORE RESPECTED THAN EVER BEFORE.”
The president has used the tariffs as leverage to urge companies to invest in U.S. manufacturing and to pressure foreign governments to negotiate with the United States on foreign policy and peace proposals.
A key question at the center of Friday’s decision was whether Trump’s tariffs should be considered a tax, pitting Trump’s foreign policy and economic agenda against Congress’ authority over taxation.
Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs” were challenged by multiple companies, including Costco, which filed lawsuits in federal courts, arguing that the tariffs would force them to significantly raise prices to continue importing the goods they offer their customers. The case made its way to the Supreme Court after the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled in August that Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs violated the Constitution.
Trump was the first president to use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs. Since its enactment in 1977, the law has been used by presidents to sanction foreign adversaries and terrorist regimes.
Trump’s Solicitor General, John Sauer, argued before the court in November that national emergencies related to the fentanyl crisis and America’s declining industrial base justify Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs.
“President Trump has declared that these emergencies are country killing and not sustainable, that they threaten the bedrock of our national and economic security, and that fixing them will make America a strong, financially viable, and respected country again,” he said in his opening argument. “Due to IEEPA tariffs, President Trump has negotiated agreements worth trillions of dollars with major trading partners, including most recently China.”

President Trump Holds “Make America Wealthy Again Event” In White House Rose Garden

SCOTUS Strikes Down Most Trump Tariffs In Major Rebuke

Supreme Court

Tariffs

President Donald Trump said Thursday that he would implement strict voter ID requirements &#8220;one way or the other,&#8221; and suggested that Senate Republicans could use an old practice known as the &#8220;talking filibuster&#8221; to overcome Democrat obstruction.
Senate Republicans are trying to muster enough support behind the Save America Act after a revamped version of the bill passed the House last week. Democrats, however, have the numbers to block the legislation since it first needs to clear the 60-vote threshold to get past the filibuster. Trump, however, said that Republicans have another idea to get over the Democrats&#8217; hurdle and pass the Save America Act before the 2026 midterm elections.
&#8220;We are going to have the Save America Act, one way or the other, after approval by Congress through the very proper use of the Filibuster or, at minimum, by a Talking Filibuster, à la &#8216;Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,'&#8221; Trump said, referring to the classic Jimmy Stewart film, where Stewart&#8217;s character, Mr. Smith, postpones a vote by speaking for 25 straight hours on the Senate floor.
Mr. Smith&#8217;s tactic is now referred to as a &#8220;talking filibuster,&#8221; a practice that was largely done away with in the 1970s when the Senate started the silent filibuster, allowing the opposition to stall votes only by stating their intent to filibuster, and thereby require 60 votes to invoke cloture.
Trump and Republicans hope that a long talking filibuster would cause Democrats to lose steam on their effort to stall the vote on the Save America Act and give Republicans a chance to pass it with a simple majority. Under the talking filibuster, however, Democrats could take turns speaking on the floor.
The idea was first floated by Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee, who introduced the Save America Act in the Senate. Lee has been whipping up support for the legislation in the Senate, and at least 50 Republican senators have expressed support for the bill, giving the GOP the numbers they need to pass the Save America Act if they can get past the filibuster. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska is the only Republican who has come out against the bill.
The revamped version of the bill aims to prevent illegal immigrants from voting and would require voters to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote along with photo ID before they cast their ballots, meaning people would have to show additional documentation such as a passport or a birth certificate.
Trump backed the talking filibuster idea for the Save America Act after his recent push to abolish the filibuster was shot down by Republican Senate leaders. Senator Lee clarified on Wednesday that the talking filibuster would not be a change to current Senate rules.
&#8220;People continue to suggest that we&#8217;re trying to change the Senate rules or trying to nuke the filibuster. The talking filibuster doesn&#8217;t require a single change to a single rule,&#8221; Lee <a href="https://x.com/BasedMikeLee/status/2024218640439300116">said</a>. &#8220;It simply requires the enforcement of rules and procedures that have lain dormant and unenforced and unused in a long time, the purpose of which is to perpetuate debate.&#8221;
Lee argued that Democrats should not be granted the &#8220;benefit&#8221; of a silent cloture, as the Save America Act has the support of a majority of Congress, the president, and is extremely popular among the American people. Recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/poll-undercuts-democrat-voter-suppression-claims">polling</a> has shown that the vast majority of American voters back strict voter ID requirements similar to those proposed in the Save America Act.
Democrats argue that the Save America Act would &#8220;disenfranchise&#8221; up to 21 million voters and result in &#8220;Jim Crow 2.0,” the same criticism Democrats used for Georgia’s photo ID law that passed in 2021.
If the talking filibuster doesn&#8217;t work, Trump has suggested taking executive action to ensure voter ID requirements.
&#8220;There will be Voter I.D. for the Midterm Elections, whether approved by Congress or not!&#8221; Trump wrote on Truth Social last week.

Donald Trump/Jimmy Steward

Trump Eyes Hollywood-Inspired Tactic To Safeguard Elections

Congress

Filibuster

Illegal Immigration

Mike Lee

Politics

Senate

The storied Chicago Bears NFL franchise has been playing in the Windy City since 1921, but on Thursday, the team shocked the sports world and Illinois leaders by taking a &#8220;meaningful step&#8221; toward building a new stadium across state lines in Hammond, Indiana.
After the Indiana House of Representatives unanimously passed a proposed amendment to make Indiana the Bears&#8217; new home, the team said it is &#8220;committed to finishing&#8221; the process &#8220;to build a world-class stadium near the Wolf Lake area in Hammond, Indiana,&#8221; Chicago-based news outlet WGN 9 <a href="https://wgntv.com/northwest-indiana/indiana-lawmakers-to-meet-thursday-morning-to-review-proposal-for-bears-to-build-new-stadium-in-northwest-indiana/">reported</a>. The Bears thanked the Republican-led Indiana government for quickly working to open the door for the new stadium.
&#8220;We appreciate the leadership shown by Governor [Mike] Braun, Speaker [Todd] Huston, Senator [Ryan] Mishler and members of the Indiana General Assembly in establishing this critical framework and path forward to deliver a premier venue for all of Chicagoland and a destination for Bears fans and visitors from across the globe,&#8221; the Bears said. &#8220;We value our partnership and look forward to continuing to build our working relationship together.&#8221;
While a relocation to Hammond would keep the Bears in the Chicago metro area, it would mark a major loss for Illinois Democratic leaders, including Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. The Bears had planned to move to Arlington Heights, a village in Illinois northwest of downtown Chicago, but the plan has stalled in the Democrat-controlled state legislature.
A spokesman for Governor Pritzker <a href="https://x.com/thematthill/status/2024502208885080324">said</a> that state lawmakers had planned to hold a hearing on moving forward with the Bears&#8217; Arlington Heights plans, but the franchise requested the meeting be called off at the last minute. The hearing, scheduled to be held by the Illinois Revenue and Finance Committee, was set to look into a proposal to provide up to $850 million in infrastructure support, according to WGN 9.
&#8220;This morning, we were surprised to see a statement lauding Indiana and ignoring Illinois,&#8221; Pritzker&#8217;s spokesman, Matt Hill, added.
Local property taxes in Illinois also remain a major issue. Illinois Republican state Rep. Mark Batinick published a document detailing how the 7% property tax rate in Arlington Heights would require the Bears to pay around $210 million annually, the Purdue Exponent <a href="https://www.purdueexponent.org/city_state/general_news/chicago-bears-hammond-indiana/article_46293472-6987-4fe8-b4be-6a69f7280fb1.html">reported</a>.
Indiana Republican Governor Mike Braun released a statement on Thursday touting the state&#8217;s &#8220;pro-growth environment&#8221; that &#8220;continues to attract major opportunities like this partnership with the Chicago Bears.&#8221;
&#8220;The State of Indiana moves at the speed of business, and we&#8217;ve demonstrated that through our quick coordination between state agencies, local government, and the legislature to set the stage for a huge win for all Hoosiers,&#8221; Braun added. &#8220;We have built a strong relationship with the Bears organization that will serve as the foundation for a public-private partnership, leading to the construction of a world-class stadium and a win for taxpayers.&#8221;
Illinois businesses, especially businesses in Arlington Heights, could take the biggest losses if the proposal to move the Bears to Indiana goes through. Business owners and residents in Arlington Heights have largely supported bringing the NFL team to the village, as it would come with increased business and tourism opportunities.
A move to Republican-led Indiana, however, could ease the tax burdens of the franchise and its players. Indiana&#8217;s income tax currently sits at 2.95% and will be <a href="https://www.indianahouserepublicans.com/blog/general/new-tax-cuts-for-hoosiers-in-2026/">lowered</a> to 2.9% beginning in 2027. The state&#8217;s <a href="https://taxfoundation.org/location/indiana/">corporate</a> income tax rate is 4.9%. Illinois&#8217; <a href="https://tax.illinois.gov/research/taxrates/income.html">income tax</a>, meanwhile, is 4.95% and its corporate tax sits at 7%.
The potential relocation to Indiana comes as the Bears have once again become a top contender in the NFC following an NFC North division title and playoff run last season with star quarterback Caleb Williams and new head coach Ben Johnson.
The Bears could be the second NFL team to move across state lines, as the Kansas City Chiefs are preparing to build a new stadium on the Kansas side of the border after playing in Missouri for decades. Last year, Missouri Republicans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-tale-of-two-kansas-cities-chiefs-and-royals-spark-political-battle-with-potential-stadium-moves">disagreed</a> over whether they should try to keep the Chiefs in the state, with Republican Governor Mike Kehoe arguing that the team brings business and state revenue for Missouri. Conservative Republicans in the Missouri Freedom Caucus, however, didn&#8217;t want to use taxpayer dollars for the benefit of the billionaire Chiefs owners.

Chicago Bears

‘Da Bears’ Seeing Red Over Blue State Games, Line Up The U-Hauls

Economy

Illinois

Indiana

U.S.

DC Water, the public utility responsible for the massive sewage spill in the Potomac River, focused much of its attention on environmentalism and diversity, equity, and inclusion goals in recent years.
The spill, considered one of the largest wastewater disasters in U.S. history, has placed DC Water&#8217;s DEI priorities in the spotlight. In 2021, DC Water became one of the first public utilities in the country to release a report on its Environmental, Social, and Governance priorities, a framework used by investors to measure a company’s commitments to leftist causes, including fighting &#8220;climate change.&#8221; Then, in February 2022, DC Water CEO David Gadis touted the utility’s emphasis on forming a leadership team made up mostly of minorities and women.
“When I arrived at DC Water, this was an organization that looked very similar to our industry, and it was predominantly, you know, white male at the top,” said Gadis, who was tapped as DC Water’s CEO in 2018. “But this was a utility that more than 70% people of color worked at this utility, and I really believe and I still believe — the outcomes have been fantastic — that the people at the top, the executives, the chiefs in that C-suite, they should look like the employees that they serve and they work with.”
Gadis made the comments on DEI during an appearance on a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhIodoQiLnk&amp;t=43s">show</a> hosted by the American Water Works Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring safe water.
“So my executive team looks exactly like the community, it looks like the employees, the staff, be it people of color, women, men,” Gadis added. “It is just a fantastic team that has come together to do a lot of great things here at DC Water and in the community for the customers.”
Asked by American Water Works CEO David LaFrance to describe what his executive team “looks like,” Gadis replied, “We have three women, three women of color, and we have five males total. And of those five males, three of them are of color. And then we have two males that are caucasian. So we are getting that total cross-sectional conversation that’s occurring.”
<div id="attachment_1045859" style="width: 929px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1045859" class="wp-image-1045859 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/DC-Water-919x576.png" alt="" width="919" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/DC-Water-919x576.png 919w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/DC-Water-300x188.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/DC-Water-768x481.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/DC-Water.png 1206w" sizes=" (max-width: 919px) 100vw, 919px" />DC Water CEO David Gadis and Board Chair Dr. Unique Morris-Hughes are joined by Mayor Muriel Bowser to celebrate the launch of the machine to help reduce wastewater flow into the Potomac River on November 4, 2025 / Screenshot: Instagram/D.C. Department of Employee Services</div>
DC Water&#8217;s sewage spill debacle comes just one month after a public utility in Nashville was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-senator-declares-war-on-woke-nashville-power-company-after-week-long-outage?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Tennessee+Senator+Declares+War+On+%E2%80%98Woke%E2%80%99+Nashville+Power+Company+After+Week-Long+Outage">slammed</a> for its focus on DEI after an ice storm knocked out power for residents for weeks. Between 2023 and the beginning of 2024, the Nashville Electric Service held 102 DEI sessions &#8220;to foster a culture of civility and belonging within our organization with the hopes of extending that dynamic beyond our walls.&#8221; Last month, the electric service faced increased scrutiny for its delayed response to widespread power outages in Nashville.
The sewage spill, which began last month, has unleashed hundreds of millions of gallons of wastewater into the Potomac River, forcing authorities to issue alerts to residents in the nation’s capital, Maryland, and Virginia to avoid contact with the river as E.coli levels skyrocketed. DC Water said the disaster was caused by the partial collapse of the Potomac Interceptor sewer line, which resulted in a massive overflow of wastewater that made its way into the Potomac.
In just the first five days after the sewer line’s collapse, around 194 million gallons overflowed, DC Water <a href="https://www.dcwater.com/about-dc-water/media/news/dc-water-releases-key-findings-extent-sewer-overflow-and-potomac-river" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on February 6. In an update this week, the utility said that a total of 243.5 million gallons have spilled into the Potomac since January 19.
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116082091487085093" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expressed</a> frustration with state and local leaders over what he viewed as a slow response to the sewage spill. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he was directing federal authorities to take over the management of the sewage spill response, writing, “I cannot allow incompetent Local ‘Leadership’ to turn the River in the Heart of Washington into a Disaster Zone.”
Betsy Nicholas, president of the Potomac Riverkeeper Network, told <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5742741-potomac-river-sewage-spill-dc-virginia-maryland/">The Hill</a> that DC Water knew the collapsed sewer line needed to be repaired and &#8220;had money allocated for it.&#8221;
&#8220;It just seems … the whole pipeline collapsed before they were able to do any work on it,&#8221; Nicholas added.
Under Gadis, DC Water has also sought to award contracts to minority- and women-owned businesses, The Daily Caller <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2026/02/17/david-gadis-dc-water-sewage-spill-diversity-dei-flint-michigan-water-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Tuesday. In fiscal year 2024 alone, DC Water awarded women-owned and “disadvantaged” businesses around $520 million of its $1.33 billion in total awards. Gadis also believes it’s important for the utility to have a “diverse workforce” to establish “trust” with homeowners who “like to see people that look like them and walk like them.”
The Daily Wire reached out to DC Water for comment.
The massive sewage spill also marks a rough spot for a utility that <a href="https://www.dcwater.com/sites/default/files/documents/2021-12/DC%20Water%20ESG%20Report%202021.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vowed</a> to provide “high quality water services in a safe, environmentally friendly, and efficient manner.”
In its 2021 <a href="https://www.dcwater.com/sites/default/files/documents/2021-12/DC%20Water%20ESG%20Report%202021.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESG report</a>, DC Water said it was “committed to finding renewable energy solutions for our energy demand to mitigate our contribution to climate change.” The utility also said it was “committed to providing healthy water throughout our operations,” and “dramatically reduce the amount of solids, nitrogen, and phosphorous in the cleaned water we return to the Potomac to protect our local rivers and the Chesapeake Bay.”
The Environmental Protection Agency, led by Administrator Lee Zeldin, said that DC Water had not yet reached out for federal help despite the massive scale of the disaster.
“The Potomac Interceptor overflow is a sewage crisis of historic proportion. Never should any American family, community, or waterway ever have to experience this level of extensive environmental damage,” Zeldin <a href="https://x.com/epaleezeldin/status/2023870910365941812" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in a post on X on Tuesday. “This mess must be completely addressed as fast as humanly possible, and the Trump EPA stands ready, motivated, and highly capable to assist in any way possible to fulfill President Trump’s strong desire to END this disaster.”
Water testing in the Potomac River earlier this week revealed E.coli levels hundreds of times higher than what the EPA considers safe, DC Water officials <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/potomac-river-e-coli-levels-skyrocket-240-million-gallons-sewage-pour-rcna259420">said</a>. Local authorities have assured residents, &#8220;There is no impact to the drinking water supply,&#8221; as the sewer and water systems &#8220;are completely separate.&#8221;

US-ENVIROMENT-SEWAGE-POTOMAC

Ahead Of ‘Sewage Crisis Of Historic Proportion,’ DC Water Officials Were Focused On DEI

D.C. Utility Responsible For Disastrous Potomac Sewage Spill Is Steeped In DEI And Environmentalism

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Environmentalism

Washington D.C.

Eight skiers <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ten-skiers-missing-after-avalanche-6-others-stranded-awaiting-rescue">caught in an avalanche</a> near Lake Tahoe in California were confirmed dead and a ninth skier is presumed dead after a rescue team braved harsh conditions to search the area for any survivors, Nevada County, California, Sheriff Shannan Moon said on Wednesday.
The tragic update comes after rescuers found six survivors near Truckee, California, and brought them to safety following one of the deadliest avalanches in U.S. history. Fifteen, including four guides and 11 clients, were on their way back from a three-day backcountry excursion to Castle Peak in the Sierra Nevada mountains when they were caught in an avalanche the size of a football field on Tuesday, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/nine-skiers-still-missing-six-rescued-after-california-avalanche-2026-02-18/">reported</a>. Authorities initially said there were 16 total skiers, but they later said that one person who was planning on going on the trip backed out at the last minute.
Authorities will attempt to recover the bodies of the deceased skiers when the weather calms down and allows for safer travel.
&#8220;Due to the ongoing challenges of the weather, the avalanche conditions, the effort remains ongoing, as well as our search for the remaining skier,&#8221; Moon said.
Boreal Mountain Ski Resort said that roughly 30 inches of snow came down in the area within 24 hours between Monday and Tuesday. Search teams made up of around 50 people braved a blinding snow storm during their rescue operation and were forced to ditch their snow cat vehicles for skis when they got within two miles of the avalanche site to avoid causing another avalanche. Up to 18 inches of snow is expected for the area on Thursday and Friday, which could push the authorities&#8217; timeline for recovering the bodies back even further. One of the deceased skiers was the spouse of a person on the rescue team, authorities said.
The group of skiers were part of a guided tour that included nine women and six men. Five of the survivors were clients of the guide company, Blackbird Mountain Guides, and one survivor was a guide. Blackbird Mountain Guides has faced scrutiny over its decision to move ahead with the backcountry ski trip despite the forecast for harsh weather and the avalanche risk. Sheriff Moon said during a press conference on Wednesday that she talked to the guide company about its decision.
The area near Truckee is one of the most popular destinations for skiers and is known for its beautiful scenery and heavy snowfall.
&#8220;The backcountry, it’s beautiful. There’s not a lot of people out there, and that’s where a lot of people like to recreate,” Sheriff Moon <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/02/18/us/lake-tahoe-avalanche-missing-skiers/c8047596-8e19-5498-862f-9672114112a2?smid=url-share">said</a>. “I myself like to recreate in that area, but Mother Nature, it doesn’t seem to matter, no matter how prepared you are, no matter how experienced you are.&#8221;

Rescue teams deploy to the site of an avalanche in a backcountry slope of California’s Sierra Nevada mountains

8 Skiers Confirmed Dead In One Of America’s Deadliest Avalanches

Avalanche

Weather

A Manhattan hospital that has performed countless procedures on gender-confused children in recent years announced on Tuesday that it officially ended its youth gender clinic following the Trump administration&#8217;s move to pull federal funding.
Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone Health, which has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hospitals-clinics-are-promoting-services-to-gender-nonconforming-kids-here-are-47-of-them">offered gender procedures</a> for children since at least <a href="https://nyunews.com/news/2025/02/02/nyu-langone-gender-affirming-care/#:~:text=NYU%20Langone%20Health%20is%20a%20leading%20institution,two%20patients%20under%20the%20age%20of%2019.">2020</a>, cited the &#8220;current regulatory environment,&#8221; along with the &#8220;recent departure&#8221; of its medical director, for its &#8220;difficult decision to discontinue our Transgender Youth Health Program,&#8221; The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/nyregion/nyu-hospital-transgender-youth.html">reported</a>.
NYU Langone previously <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220828054900/https://nyulangone.org/locations/child-study-center/gender-sexuality-service">stated</a> on its website that it prescribes &#8220;gender-affirming medical interventions, including puberty suppression, gender-affirming hormone treatments, and gender-affirming surgery&#8221; for gender-confused children. The hospital&#8217;s <a href="https://nyulangone.org/locations/child-study-center/gender-sexuality-service">website</a> no longer mentions gender surgery for children and focuses on &#8220;mental health services.&#8221;
Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hospitals-across-u-s-stop-transitioning-children-after-trump-signs-order-protecting-kids">signed</a> an executive order to protect children from irreversible gender procedures by threatening to strip federal funding from hospitals that perform the procedures. Following Trump&#8217;s order last year, NYU Langone began winding down its &#8220;Transgender Youth Health Program,&#8221; canceling appointments for children, including two 12-year-olds who were supposed to start puberty blockers, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hospitals-across-u-s-stop-transitioning-children-after-trump-signs-order-protecting-kids">reported</a> at the time. However, some parents told the Times that the hospital kept appointments for children who were already on puberty blockers or hormone therapy.
Last June, the FBI set up a <a href="https://x.com/FBI/status/1929587710894739567">tip line</a> for Americans to report &#8220;any hospitals, clinics, or practitioners&#8221; that &#8220;mutilate&#8221; children &#8220;under the guise of gender-affirming care.&#8221; The Trump administration <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/nyregion/transgender-care-lawsuit-trump.html">reportedly</a> served subpoenas to multiple hospitals last year, including NYU Langone, seeking more information on their youth gender clinics.
In December, the Trump administration began implementing the president&#8217;s executive order to protect children by proposing rules to strip federal funding from hospitals that continue to perform gender procedures on children.
Democrats have pushed back against Trump&#8217;s effort to go after hospitals and doctors that promote gender procedures for children. In response to Trump&#8217;s crackdown on hospitals performing gender procedures on children, New York joined a coalition of Democrat-led states that sued the Trump administration in an effort to stop the federal government&#8217;s investigation into hospitals and doctors that perform the life-altering procedures on children.
President Trump&#8217;s executive action to protect children from the harmful procedures followed numerous Republican-led states banning the so-called gender-affirming treatments and procedures for minors. Florida, Texas, Tennessee, and many other states took action to protect children beginning in 2023, shortly after Daily Wire host Matt Walsh&#8217;s documentary &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/what-is-a-woman">What is a Woman?</a>&#8221; exposed the dangers of gender procedures.
After &#8220;What is a Woman?&#8221; became one of the most-watched documentaries of the year, Walsh held a rally in Nashville and met with state leaders in multiple states to advocate for ending &#8220;child mutilation.&#8221;
Thanks to recent laws passed by Republican-led states and the efforts of President Trump, the tide has turned in the debate on gender procedures for children. The Trump administration and advocates for protecting children from gender procedures celebrated another <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-fight-is-not-over-major-medical-org-rejects-transgender-surgeries-for-kids">major win</a> earlier this month when the American Society of Plastic Surgeons acknowledged that &#8220;evidence did not support genital procedures or removing the breasts of young girls who identify as boys.&#8221;

NYU Langone/Donald Trump

Trump Flex Delivers Another Major Victory Protecting Kids From Gender Mutilation

Hospitals

LGBT

New York

Transgender

transgender surgery

Vice President JD Vance said on Tuesday that the Trump administration does not want &#8220;chaotic&#8221; immigration enforcement, but added that federal officials will not stand by when sanctuary cities refuse to cooperate.
During an interview with Fox News host Martha MacCallum, Vance <a href="https://x.com/townhallcom/status/2023862960356008144?s=20">discussed</a> the tactics of U.S. Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement and acknowledged that &#8220;none of us like&#8221; the videos of altercations between federal agents and agitators, such as the shooting deaths of Minneapolis residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
&#8220;We don&#8217;t want immigration enforcement to be chaotic,&#8221; Vance said. &#8220;In 99% of cases, you have a federal law enforcement officer, they show up at a jail or they show up somewhere else, they identify a person who needs to be deported, and they get them out of our country&#8230; Where you have that chaos in Minneapolis or Los Angeles, it&#8217;s because the local authorities are so committed to an open border that they want to put law enforcement at risk. We&#8217;re not going to surrender to that. We&#8217;re not going to submit to that.&#8221;
Some of the largest cities in the United States, including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, refuse to work with ICE and hand over illegal immigrants who have been arrested for other offenses. This refusal to cooperate with federal authorities in these Democrat-run cities led the Trump administration to take an aggressive approach to detaining suspected illegal immigrants, including an immigration crackdown in Minneapolis and the surrounding area, dubbed &#8220;Operation Metro Surge.&#8221;
Vance&#8217;s comments come shortly after the Trump administration began <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-to-end-ices-operation-metro-surge-in-minnesota-homan-says">removing</a> many federal agents from Minnesota in February after the major surge in immigration enforcement. From the beginning of &#8220;Operation Metro Surge,&#8221; Democratic leaders in Minnesota opposed Trump&#8217;s efforts to detain illegal immigrants, and the outrage over the Trump administration&#8217;s actions erupted following the shooting deaths of Good and Pretti, which were captured on video.
Vance said that the administration is not capitulating to Democrats&#8217; demands and that President Trump remains committed to deporting illegal immigrants and securing the border.
&#8220;We are going to be deliberate, we&#8217;re going to be smart,&#8221; Vance added. &#8220;We&#8217;re going to try to prevent these chaotic scenes that, of course, the Democrats use to [their] political advantage, but we&#8217;re going to keep on enforcing the border. That&#8217;s the mandate the American people gave us.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s border czar, Tom Homan, assumed control of the federal operation in Minneapolis last month, replacing Border Patrol’s Gregory Bovino, who was reassigned. Shortly after arriving in Minnesota and meeting with Democratic Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Homan said that he worked out a deal with the leaders for &#8220;unprecedented levels of coordination&#8221; on immigration enforcement.
&#8220;As a result of our efforts here, Minnesota is now less of a sanctuary state for criminals,&#8221; Homan said last week.
Vance&#8217;s remarks on Tuesday seem to cut down the middle of a rift in the Trump administration over immigration enforcement tactics. Some Trump officials, such as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and her top advisor Corey Lewandowski, have pushed for an aggressive strategy and increasing the number of total arrests, Daily Wire immigration reporter Jennie Taer previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-the-trump-administrations-growing-divide-over-mass-deportation-raids?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=Original&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Inside+The+Trump+Administration%E2%80%99s+Growing+Divide+Over+Mass+Deportation+Raids">reported</a>. Homan and acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, meanwhile, want ICE to prioritize arresting the most violent criminals before nabbing other illegal immigrants.

JD Vance

Vance: Admin Wants To Avoid ‘Chaotic’ Immigration Enforcement, But Sanctuary Cities Stand In The Way

Vance: Admin Wants To Avoid 'Chaotic' Immigration Enforcement, But Sanctuary Cities Stand In The Way

The United States military, under the command of President Donald Trump and War Secretary Pete Hegseth, took out three boats suspected of trafficking drugs on Monday, killing 11 &#8220;male narco-terrorists,&#8221; according to U.S. Southern Command.
The kinetic strikes targeted two boats in the Eastern Pacific and one boat in the Caribbean. U.S. Southern Command said that the suspected drug-runners were &#8220;transiting along known narco-trafficking routes and were engaged in narco-trafficking operations.&#8221; On Tuesday, the U.S. military shared unclassified <a href="https://x.com/Southcom/status/2023791027383890240">video footage</a> of all three strikes.
&#8220;Turns out President’s Day — under President Trump — is not a good day to run drugs,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/PeteHegseth/status/2023810666004668441">said</a> War Secretary Pete Hegseth.
With the latest strikes, at least 145 suspected drug runners have been killed in 42 strikes targeting &#8220;narcoterrorist&#8221; boats in the Pacific and Caribbean since last September. Monday&#8217;s operations followed a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-military-says-it-obliterated-another-narcoterrorist-drug-boat-in-caribbean">strike</a> on Friday that destroyed a boat and killed three suspected drug smugglers.
President Donald Trump has defended his authority to carry out the strikes as Democrats argue that Congress must be given a say in the military operations being conducted without a declaration of war. Some Democrats have even claimed that Trump&#8217;s boat strikes in international waters amount to murder. Trump, however, has not backed down on his vow to obliterate suspected drug boats and argues that the United States is in an &#8220;armed conflict&#8221; with drug cartels that seek to transport deadly substances into the United States.
Shortly after the United States began conducting strikes against suspected drug traffickers, Trump <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/trump-warns-drug-traffickers-we-will-blow-you-out-existence-2025-09-23/">said</a> in a speech at the United Nations, &#8220;To every terrorist thug smuggling poisonous drugs into the United States of America, please be warned that we will blow you out of existence.&#8221;
Responding to criticism from lawmakers over the strikes in October, Trump told reporters, “I don’t think we’re going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war. I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country, OK? We’re going to kill them.&#8221;
Trump has also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whatever-we-have-to-do-trump-says-hes-ok-with-striking-inside-mexico-to-stop-drugs">suggested</a> that the United States could target suspected narco-terrorists on land, which he said could include strikes inside Mexico and Colombia.
The U.S. strikes were further scrutinized by some lawmakers late last year after it was revealed that the U.S. military conducted a second strike on one boat in early September after some of the suspected narco-terrorists survived the first attack. The War Department has not publicly released the footage of the second strike and has only shown a select few lawmakers footage of the &#8220;double tap&#8221; strike.
Trump&#8217;s military campaign against drug traffickers led to the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro last month.
Maduro, who was accused of conspiring to traffic drugs to the United States, raged against the U.S. strikes in the Caribbean and vowed to fight U.S. forces if the United States made a move on Venezuela.
Following his capture, Maduro was charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy and cocaine importation conspiracy, and he now awaits trial in New York.

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