Trump News for Tuesday, February 17, 2026

WATCH: Millions celebrate the start of the Lunar New Year

ABC News, Abcnews.com

Content creator Sherry Zhu breaks down what the Year of the Fire Horse represents and the traditions that define the Lunar New Year.

US immigration judge rejects Trump bid to deport Columbia student Mahdawi

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian student activist, faced deportation proceedings amid a protest crackdown under Trump.

Hamas: Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ must stop Israel’s killing in Gaza

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

'War of genocide against the Strip is still ongoing', Hamas says, warning the board not to act as 'cover'.

The Trump threat looming over late-night TV, briefly explained

Cameron Peters, Vox

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here. Welcome to The Logoff: The Trump administration is mucking about with late-ni…

Do Not Be Cynical About Jesse Jackson

Adam Serwer, The Atlantic

He was never the caricature his critics wanted him to be.

Will Warner Bros. Discovery Opening Up Merger Talks Again Finally Bring Some Clarity to the Paramount vs. Netflix Back and Forth?

Brian Welk, IndieWire

What does it mean that Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery offered a 7-day waiver period to Paramount to make its best and final offer?

Tributes pour in after US civil rights icon Jesse Jackson dies at 84

Elizabeth Melimopoulos, Al Jazeera English

World leaders shared memories of Jackson, a leader of the US civil rights movement who passed away on Tuesday.

Freak World of Nicholas J. Fuentes...

City Journal

Freak World of Nicholas J. Fuentes... (First column, 5th story, link) Related stories:Beneath spectacle, right-wing influencer creates heap of human wreckage... Drudge Report Feed needs your support!   Become a Patron

Colombia to resume peace talks with ECG after temporary suspension

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Colombia's largest criminal group paused talks after President Gustavo Petro pledged to target its leader Chiquito Malo.

Warner Bros rejects latest Paramount bid but open to ‘best and final’ offer

Andy Hirschfeld, Al Jazeera English

The Warner Bros Discovery board says it remains committed to the Netflix deal.

'The Late Show' host Stephen Colbert says CBS pulled his interview with a Democratic lawmaker — so he turned to YouTube

Ben Shimkus, Business Insider

"The Late Show" host Stephen Colbert said CBS blocked an interview over FCC concerns. It highlights tension between broadcasters and their talent.

Fresh Poll Highlights What Americans Truly Think Of Melania Trump Compared To Past First Ladies

Analice Couto, Boredpanda.com

Melania’s results closely mirrored those of her husband.

Yemeni Americans feel ‘betrayed’ as Trump revokes immigration protections

Ali Harb, Al Jazeera English

Prominent Trump supporter Amer Ghalib says US decision to nix deportation protection for Yemenis 'very unfortunate'.

US president’s son Eric Trump invests in drone maker with gov’t contracts

Andy Hirschfeld, Al Jazeera English

Israel's Xtend recently won US Defense Department contract, is bidding for another before merger with JFB Construction.

'I am somebody': Civil rights leaders honor Rev. Jesse Jackson after his death

Deena Zaru, Abcnews.com

Rev. Al Sharpton invoked the late Rev. Jesse Jackson's slogan, “I am somebody,” which Jackson famously recited in an iconic 1971 chant with children on Sesame Street.

Sheinbaum says Mexico declines Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ invite

Al Jazeera English

Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum said she has turned down an invitation from Donald Trump to join his “Board of Peace."

Poll: How many Americans rank Trump as the 'worst' vs. 'best' president in U.S. history?

Andrew Romano, Yahoo Entertainment

Amid this year's Presidents' Day celebrations, survey respondents tell Yahoo and YouGov that Trump is doing a worse job than Joe Biden and Barack Obama.

Key NIH research institute told to remove references to 'pandemic preparedness'

Max Kozlov, Nature magazine, Scientific American

Staff members have been instructed to scrub this topic and ‘biodefense’ from the agency’s website, a Nature investigation finds

Can Trump’s Plan for Warehouse Immigrant Detention Camps Be Stopped?

Natasha Lennard, The Intercept

ICE has the money it needs to turn warehouses into prisons for immigrants. But local pressure stopped one project in its tracks. The post Can Trump’s Plan for Warehouse Immigrant Detention Camps Be Stopped? appeared first on The Intercept.

US judge says wrongfully deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia can’t be re-detained

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Judge says Trump administration has made 'one empty threat after another' to deport Salvadoran national to Africa.

It’s Correct and Moral to Use the Olympics to Speak Out About Politics

Alain Stephens, The Intercept

Sports can't be separated from politics, and athletes are well within their rights to criticize Trump on the world stage. The post It’s Correct and Moral to Use the Olympics to Speak Out About Politics appeared first on The Intercept.

US kills 11 people in three strikes on alleged drug-trafficking vessels

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

President Donald Trump's campaign against alleged drug boats has resulted in at least 145 deaths since September.

U.S. releases new details on alleged secret Chinese nuclear test

Geoff Brumfiel, NPR

At a event in Washington D.C., A U.S. official said a remote earthquake in 2020 was caused by a Chinese nuclear test.

Cowardly And Complicit CBS Pulls Colbert Interview With Dem Politician To Please Republicans

Karl Bode, Techdirt

The right wing extremist takeover of CBS continues to go just about how you thought it might. CBS is under fire yet again, this time for forcing Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show” to cancel a scheduled appearance with Texas Democratic State Representative Jame…

WATCH: Late Rev. Jesse Jackson remembered by Rev. Al Sharpton at news conference

ABC News, Abcnews.com

Rev. Al Sharpton held a news conference on the late Rev. Jesse Jackson after the civil rights leader died on Tuesday morning at the age of 84, his family said in a statement.

Top Trump administration immigration spokesperson is leaving

Ximena Bustillo, NPR

Tricia McLaughlin has become the public face defending the Trump administration's mass deportation policy and immigration tactics over the past year.

Emmy-Winning ‘Daily Show’ Scribe Matt Koff Sets Sophomore Comedy Special ‘Cat Man’

matthewgrobar, Deadline

EXCLUSIVE: Veteran Daily Show writer Matt Koff is set to debut a new comedy special, Cat Man, on the streaming service Veeps on March 10. In his second hour of comedy, the Comedy Cellar regular discusses divorce, middle-age and cats — sharing his thoughts on …

Stephen Colbert Says CBS Bowed to FTC Pressure, Dropped Interview With Democrat

Ece Yildirim, Gizmodo.com

Here's the interview that CBS and the FTC don't want you to see.

“Corporate Capitulation”: FCC Commissioner Criticizes CBS Decision To Ban Broadcast Of Stephen Colbert Interview With U.S. Senate Candidate

Ted Johnson, Deadline

Anna Gomez, the sole Democrat on the FCC, called out CBS for restricting Stephen Colbert from featuring an interview with a U.S. Senate candidate on his late night show’s regular broadcast, as the network feared running afoul of equal time rules. On his show …

Students Are Being Treated Like Guinea Pigs: Inside an AI-Powered Private School

Emanuel Maiberg, 404media.co

Leaked documents reveal the inner workings of Alpha School, which both the press and the Trump administration have applauded. The documents show Alpha School's AI is generating faulty lessons that sometimes do "more harm than good."

MAGA Podcaster Torches Trump for Broken Promise

Yahoo Entertainment

Democrats send counteroffer on DHS funding to White House as shutdown continues

Lauren Peller, John Parkinson, Abcnews.com

As the partial government shutdown continues, Democrats have sent their Department of Homeland Security funding counteroffer to Republicans and the White House.

Iran’s Khamenei maintains tough rhetoric with US despite nuclear talks

Maziar Motamedi, Al Jazeera English

Tehran's chief diplomat says some 'guiding principles' are agreed, but the supreme leader presents a different tone.

WHAT IS HE HIDING?

Tiago Ventura, Time

WHAT IS HE HIDING? (First column, 2nd story, link) Related stories:HILLARY READY FOR BATTLE: TRUMP COVERING UP EPSTEIN! Calls for her congressional testimony to be held publicly... Drudge Report Feed needs your support!   Bec…

MAGA ally sends ‘emergency message’ to Trump: ‘It’s not about you!’

Rachel Cohen, nj.com

He argued that Trump risks being known as the "Epstein president."

Canadian airlines are pulling back from flights to the US, with one leaving the country entirely

Pete Syme, Business Insider

Air Transat will no longer fly to the US this summer, while WestJet is also slashing several routes, as Canadian interest in visiting the US falls.

Missiles fly as 3rd round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks kick off in Geneva

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Ukraine's lead negotiator says Kyiv will work 'constructively' but 'without excessive expectations'.

Kristi Noem Told Coast Guard to Abandon Search Mission to Use Plane for Her 'Alien Expulsion Operations'

Danielle Han, Jezebel

Thanks to Noem, Coast Guard morale is reportedly "terrible," according to NBC News.

Woman’s “Strange Behavior” During White House Press Conference Goes Viral

Gabija Saveiskyte, Boredpanda.com

“White House or horror movie audition?” one asked after seeing Susan Dell’s demeanor as she stood few feet away from US President Donald Trump.

All the world's a stage – except this deputy federal CIO job

Joe Fay, Theregister.com

$200K role promises authority, mission, and 'zero patience for theater' The Trump administration is looking for a deputy federal CIO, and theater fans need not apply.…

Trump’s “Mission Accomplished” moment gives Democrats an opening

Heather Digby Parton, Salon

The president falsely claimed he "fixed" the affordability crisis. He and the GOP will pay in the November midterms

As a Teen, I Had an Eating Disorder. One Controversial Show Is to Blame.

Anna Rollins, Slate Magazine

It taught me to desire thinness—then to hide that desire.

Steve Bannon Promised to Help Epstein "Crush the Pedo/Trafficking Narrative"

Jim Vorel, Jezebel

Steve Bannon remained close with Epstein, even texting with him about a "documentary" project on the very day of Epstein's 2019 arrest.

Trump FTC Threatens Apple With A Fake Investigation Into Its Nonexistent ‘Liberal News Bias’

Karl Bode, Techdirt

Here we go again. The Trump FTC has threatened Apple and CEO Tim Cook with a fake investigation claiming that Apple News doesn’t do a good enough job coddling right wing, Trump-friendly ideology. The announcement and associated letter pretends that Apple is v…

The injustice in Chagos continues

Clive Baldwin, Al Jazeera English

Expressions of regret have not translated into enabling return or providing reparations.

The Republicans Made Peace With Science

Alexander Furnas, Dashun Wang, The Atlantic

The Trump administration’s hostility to science is real, but it isn’t matched by the rest of the GOP.

A Bitter Winter in Ukraine

Tim Judah, The New York Review of Books

Four years after their full-scale invasion, the Russians are trying to freeze Ukraine into submission by relentlessly attacking the country’s energy grid.

Iran’s Khamenei says US will not be able to destroy government

Al Jazeera English

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has taken aim at Donald Trump.

Europe Has Received the Message

Joseph de Weck, The Atlantic

Without America to rely on, the EU is gearing up to be a global power in its own right.

Seeing Ourselves in America’s Unfinished Revolution

The Atlantic

Readers respond to our November 2025 issue.

JD Vance doesn’t believe in free speech

Austin Sarat, Thomas Dumm, Salon

In 2025, the veep warned Europeans about censorship. Now the Trump administration is testing those same limits

For Europe, It’s Not Back to Business as Usual

Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic

Marco Rubio was more civil than J. D. Vance had been, but the message to longtime allies was the same.

WATCH: DNA from glove found near Nancy Guthrie's home undergoing testing: Sources

ABC News, Abcnews.com

DNA from the glove recovered near Nancy Guthrie’s home remains at a private lab in Florida, where the Pima County Sheriff’s Department sent it on Feb. 12, law enforcement sources told ABC News.

How Legal Immigration Became a Deportation Trap

Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker

Jonathan Blitzer on how the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Homeland Security agency responsible for processing visas and green cards, has become a site for easy arrests and deportations under the Trump Administration.

The Growing Rift Between Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E.

Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker

Isaac Chotiner interviews the author and Middle East scholar Kristian Ulrichsen about the rift between the former allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Marco Rubio’s Impressive Speech

Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic

The secretary of state sought not only to reassure but to rally Europeans.

Why privatizing public land won’t solve the housing crisis

Kyle Manley, Scientific American

An environmental scientist’s analysis reveals who will win and who will lose in the push to put federal land into private hands

Polyamory isn’t all about sex

Rebecca J. Lester, Scientific American

An anthropologist’s detailed research shows polyamorists focus on intimacy and honesty, not sleeping around

U.S. Sent a Rescue Plane for Boat Strike Survivors. It Took 45 Hours to Arrive.

Tomi McCluskey, Nick Turse, The Intercept

In seas that could kill a person within an hour, it took nearly two days for a rescue plane to arrive. The post U.S. Sent a Rescue Plane for Boat Strike Survivors. It Took 45 Hours to Arrive. appeared first on The Intercept.

‘Jordan is next’: West Bank annexation signals ‘silent transfer’

Mohammad Mansour, Al Jazeera English

Jordan warns of war as Israel's 'silent transfer' in the occupied West Bank becomes an operational reality.

WATCH: Reverend Jesse Jackson has died at age 84

ABC News, Abcnews.com

Civil rights activist Reverend Jesse Jackson passed away, he was surrounded by his family.

A once-underused immigration enforcement program has exploded under Trump

Jaclyn Diaz, NPR

Partnerships between ICE and local law enforcement agencies has expanded widely, under the second Trump administration, data analyzed by NPR shows.

3 big changes are proposed for FEMA. This is what experts really think of them

Lauren Sommer, NPR

The Trump administration is proposing massive changes to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. We asked disaster experts to weigh in.

Air Force Maintenance Staff Can’t Stop Buying Fancy Knives With Tax Dollars

Austin Campbell, The Intercept

“Everyone knew we didn’t need them.” Air Force maintainers have been on a decadelong knife-ordering spree. The post Air Force Maintenance Staff Can’t Stop Buying Fancy Knives With Tax Dollars appeared first on The Intercept.

Witkoff and Kushner in Geneva for pivotal talks on Ukraine and Iran

David Brennan, Abcnews.com

Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner -- U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law -- will lead American negotiators in Geneva, Switzerland,

Trump Voters Love ICE, Until It's in Their Backyard

Jim Vorel, Jezebel

It's funny how public opinion on ICE changes the moment that DHS plans to put 10,000 detainees in your own neighborhood.

Once a popular wartime leader among Ukrainians, Zelenskyy’s shine fades

Nils Adler, Al Jazeera English

Russia's full-scale invasion saw Ukrainians rally around the president but a corruption scandal has dimmed his appeal.

Trump urges Iran to make nuclear deal saying he’ll be ‘indirectly’ involved

Al Jazeera English

US President Donald Trump said he will take part in Tuesday’s talks with Iran from Washington.

U.S. and Iran to hold a second round of nuclear talks in Geneva

The Associated Press, NPR

The second round of talks in Geneva about Iran's nuclear program takes place as the United States ramps up its military presence in the Middle East and Iran holds large-scale maritime exercises.

Trump ups pressure on Kyiv as Russia, Ukraine hold peace talks in Geneva

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Kremlin says the talks are likely to focus on the issue of Ukrainian territory that Russian wants Kyiv to cede.

Waste piles up in Cuba as US-imposed fuel blockade halts collection trucks

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Cubans suffer under a fuel blockade as US President Donald Trump calls the Caribbean country a 'failed nation'.

Tiny island, big hustle

Aditi Bharade, Business Insider

20-hour kitchen days. Tears and budget fears. Lying flat is the last thing on these young Singaporean business owners' minds.

Judge orders Trump administration to restore Philadelphia slavery exhibit

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Judge accuses the US government of trying to rewrite history by taking down the exhibit in the city of Philadelphia.

Trump says he will be involved ‘indirectly’ in Iran nuclear talks

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

The US president's comments come ahead of a second round of high-stakes talks in Geneva on Tuesday.

US Senator Mark Kelly tells BBC he will 'seriously consider' White House run

BBC News

The former Navy captain and astronaut says "we're in some seriously challenging times".