Trump News for Monday, February 23, 2026

From Gujarat to the Gulf: the shrimp industry's tariff whiplash

Abby Narishkin,Tyler Merkel,Dorian Barranco,Havovi Cooper, Business Insider

President Donald Trump announced 50% tariffs on India, the largest source of the No. 1 seafood in America.

Isaac Hayes’ Estate Reaches Settlement With Donald Trump Over Use Of ‘Hold On, I’m Coming’

Ted Johnson, Deadline

The estate of Isaac Hayes has reached a settlement with Donald Trump over the use of the song “Hold On, I’m Coming” at campaign rallies. A joint stipulation of dismissal with prejudice was filed in U.S. District Court in Atlanta on Monday. The terms were not …

Trump’s Iran buildup, 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 staring down another confl…

Trump at Event for Families of Dead Americans: ‘I Suffer for the Country’

nikkimccannramirez, Rolling Stone

President Donald Trump ranted about election fraud during a speech to "Angel Families," whose loved ones were killed by undocumented migrants.

Isaac Hayes Estate Settles With Trump Over Rally Use of ‘Hold On, I’m Coming’

Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone

Isaac Hayes' estate has reached a private settlement with President Trump over his unauthorized use of 'Hold On, I'm Coming' at political rallies.

US Women's Hockey Team Declines Invite...

Gabe Whisnant, Newsweek

US Women's Hockey Team Declines Invite... (First column, 11th story, link) Related stories:STATE OF THE UNION: Most say worse off... Historic Turnaround? Here Are Facts... Xi gains upper hand as trade war plunged into chaos... Trump O…

Maryland sues Trump administration to halt construction of ICE facility

By Jasper Ward, Yahoo Entertainment

By Jasper Ward WASHINGTON, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said on Monday that the state had filed a lawsuit against the Trump...

Yes, Section 230 Should Apply Equally To Algorithmic Recommendations

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

If you’ve spent any time in my Section 230 myth-debunking guide, you know that most bad takes on the law come from people who haven’t read it. But lately I keep running into a different kind of bad take—one that often comes from people who have read the law, …

Are the US and Iran moving closer to war?

Al Jazeera English

Diplomacy continues despite the significant United States military build-up.

U.S. provided “intelligence support” in raid that killed Mexican drug lord “El Mencho”

Garrett Owen, Salon

Deadly outbreaks of retaliatory violence have rocked Jalisco since the Sunday raid, killing at least 73 people

Trump’s So-Called ‘Board of Peace’ Wants to Put Gaza on the Blockchain

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

Gazans have been restricted to 2G networks. Now planners are talking about a stablecoin.

Trump’s new tariff threats trigger economic uncertainty; trade deals stall

Andy Hirschfeld, Al Jazeera English

The White House is set to impose a 15 percent tariff through Section 122 after the US Supreme Court ruled against Trump.

U.S. Women’s Hockey Team declines Trump invite to State of the Union

Alex Galbraith, Salon

The gold-medal women's squad turned down the invite after video showed the president joking about them.

Another US boat strike in Caribbean Sea kills three, Pentagon says

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Attack on alleged drug smugglers brings death toll from US military campaign against suspected drug boats to around 150.

France moves to bar US Ambassador Charles Kushner from direct government access

Associated Press, Yahoo Entertainment

France's top diplomat Monday requested that U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner no longer be allowed direct access to members of the French government after he...

Here's What The US Women's Hockey Team Said About Being Invited To Trump's State Of The Union

Natasha Jokic, Buzzfeed

A video of a locker room full of male hockey players laughing at Trump talking about the women's invitation has gone viral.View Entire Post ›

Trump to Deliver State of the Union Amid Low Polls and Deep Divisions

Nik Popli, Time

When Trump last addressed Congress, his approval rating was near a career high. Now it's near record lows.

What to know about Mexico violence as president offers reassurances

Anne Laurent, Meredith Deliso, Abcnews.com

Widespread cartel-organized violence erupted following his death, with vehicles set on fire and hundreds of road blockages, Mexican officials said.

David Ellison's Paramount has some breathing room in its quest to buy WBD despite a pressing deadline

James Faris, Business Insider

Paramount is in a bidding war with Netflix for Warner Bros. and has until March to make its best and final offer.

Trump Mocks Women’s Hockey Team While Congratulating Men on Gold

nikkimccannramirez, Rolling Stone

President Donald Trump mocked the U.S. Women's hockey team during a congratulatory call to the men's team after winning the Olympic gold medal.

Iran banks big on murky oil ‘trustees’ as war with US on the horizon

Maziar Motamedi, Al Jazeera English

Billions in oil funds have not been returned to Iran as transparency fades amid efforts to circumvent biting sanctions.

Sam Altman says concerns of ChatGPT's energy use are overblown: 'It also takes a lot of energy to train a human'

Brent D. Griffiths, Business Insider

"It takes, like, 20 years of life, and all of the food you eat during that time before you get smart," Sam Altman said.

Trump's admin confirms that selling federal student loans to private companies is still on the table

Ayelet Sheffey, Business Insider

Critics worry about what forgiveness and repayment options borrowers may have if federal student loans are sold to private lenders.

Canada prepares aid package for Cuba as it faces fuel shortages worsened by US oil embargo

ROB GILLIES, Yahoo Entertainment

Canada announced Monday that it is working on an aid package for Cuba as it faces blackouts and severe fuel shortages worsened by a U.S oil embargo. Foreign...

Anti-government student protests spread to more Iranian universities

BBC News

A fresh wave of anti-government protests at several Iranian universities that began on Saturday has spread to more campuses.

AI Added ‘Basically Zero’ to US Economic Growth Last Year, Goldman Sachs Says

Bruce Gil, Gizmodo.com

Imported chips and hardware mean the AI investemtns are translating into US GDP growth.

Kash Patel hijacks Team USA’s Olympic hockey win

Sophia Tesfaye, Salon

FBI director faults media for criticism of his flight to Milan

The Media Still Can’t Figure Out That Trump Says Things That Aren’t True

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

Debates on how the media should be covering what Donald Trump says have been going on for over a decade now. A few months ago, we wrote about the regularity with which the mainstream media “sanewashes” his more ridiculous statements, taking the incoherent ram…

Trump continues to lash out at Supreme Court after tariff ruling

Alexandra Hutzler, Abcnews.com

President Trump continues to lash out at the Supreme Court days after a majority of justices struck down most of his global tariffs as illegal.

After Right Wing Media Seize On SAT Comment, Gavin Newsom Slaps Back At Sean Hannity: “Spare Me Your Fake F—ing Outrage”

Ted Johnson, Deadline

Media outlets on the right seized on a comment that California Governor Gavin Newsom made as he has been in the midst of a promotional tour for his new memoir. On Sunday evening, in an appearance with Atlanta Mayor Andrew Dickens, Newsom said, “I’m not trying…

El Mencho’s killing won’t solve Mexico’s cartel problem – or anything else

Belén Fernández, Al Jazeera English

The killings of other cartel kingpins have done little to stem the production and flow of drugs towards the US.

Venezuela demands immediate release of Maduro from US custody

Urooba Jamal, Al Jazeera English

Venezuela’s government emphasises reconciliation and amnesty efforts amid persistent political and economic challenges.

Special elections pattern suggests GOP could face rout in midterms

Garrett Owen, Salon

Democrats are outperforming past baselines in Trump-era districts, though the Senate map remains steep

Kristi Noem “Completely Made Up” Story of ICE Deporting a Cannibal

Edith Olmsted, The New Republic

Surprise, surprise: Homeland Security Kristi Noem completely made up that far-fetched story about deporting a cannibal, multiple federal law enforcement officials told The Intercept. Speaking to Fox News’s Jesse Watters in June, Noem recounted a terrible tale…

Federal Gov Trafficking Pregnant Children to Texas So They Can't Get Abortions

Jill Filipovic, Throughline.news

At least half of these unaccompanied migrant kids are rape victims, and all are being denied adequate medical care for high-risk pregnancies in a state with sky-high maternal mortality rates.

Nonprofit Coalition Asks Courts to Prevent Coercive Federal Investigation Tactics

The Intercept

Seventeen organizations filed an amicus brief calling out pretextual federal investigations and arguing for judicial oversight. The post Nonprofit Coalition Asks Courts to Prevent Coercive Federal Investigation Tactics appeared first on The Intercept.

Donald Trump Posts ‘We’re Winning Too Much’

Yahoo Entertainment

Secret Hidden Epstein Photos Heap More Pressure on Bondi

Will Neal, Daily Beast

Jeffrey Epstein had at least six storage units throughout the country where he hid materials that were apparently never searched. Documents obtained by The...

Silicon Valley can't import talent like before. So it's exporting jobs

Ananya Bhattacharya, Restofworld.org

Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and other U.S. tech giants are ramping up India hiring.

Trading with the Enemy

David Cole, The New York Review of Books

Friday’s Supreme Court decision rebuffing President Trump’s signature foreign policy initiative—worldwide tariffs imposed pursuant to an asserted national emergency—was extraordinary in multiple respects. In its nearly 250-year history, the Court has rarely r…

Trump Insulted The U.S. Women’s Hockey Team

Emily Madriga, Thoughtcatalog.com

And the men's team laughed.

25 Mexican National Guard troops killed after cartel leader's death

CBSNews, CBS News

Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes — known as "El Mencho" — was the boss of one of the fastest-growing criminal networks in Mexico.

WATCH: Smoke blankets Mexico's Puerto Vallarta after death of cartel leader

ABC News, Abcnews.com

Widespread violence erupted after a cartel boss was killed in a military raid.

What is Christian Zionism, the pro-Israel ideology invoked by US ambassador

Urooba Jamal, Al Jazeera English

Huckabee's remarks that Israel has God-given right to much of Middle East are rooted in Christian Zionism, experts say.

It’s Been Almost Two Months Since the U.S. Invaded a Country. Is It Iran’s Turn to Be a Trump Distraction?

Jim Vorel, Jezebel

Trump claimed the nuclear program of Iran was "obliterated." Now, 8 months later it's "a week away" from having nuclear bombs. Okay, sure.

Stellantis Poised To End 2025 With Its First Annual Loss

staff@jalopnik.com (Amber DaSilva), Jalopnik

All that money for little more than a Christmas ornament.

After Supreme Court rebuke, Democrats call for government to refund billions in Trump tariff money

JOSH BOAK, Yahoo Entertainment

A trio of Senate Democrats is calling for the government to start refunding roughly $175 billion in tariff revenues that the Supreme Court ruled were...

US orders non-emergency personnel to leave Beirut embassy amid tensions

Ali Harb, Al Jazeera English

US official says Washington determined it was 'prudent to reduce our footprint to essential personnel' in Lebanon.

Stocks tick lower after Trump ratchets up tariffs

Max Zahn, Abcnews.com

Trump said over the weekend he would slap a 15% tariff on most goods.

Humiliated Pentagon Pete Makes Desperate Last-Ditch Threat

Will Neal, Daily Beast

Pete Hegseth wants a top Pentagon contractor to know he really, really means it when he demands they abandon their cautious approach to the Defense...

Kash Patel Defends His Partying With U.S. Men’s Olympics Hockey Team

Hafiz Rashid, The New Republic

FBI Director Kash Patel is unapologetic after being caught celebrating with the U.S. Men’s Hockey Team after their Olympic gold medal victory in Milan, Italy, Sunday. Patel posted on X Sunday that “yes, I love America and was very humbled when my friends, the…

The Tennessee companies profiting from the Trump administration’s immigration agenda

Anita Wadhwani, Tennesseelookout.com

Brentwood, Tenn.-based AMI Metals, a global aerospace materials manufacturer, has inked a $1.5 billion deal with the federal government to provide “bulk...

Violence Erupts in Mexico as U.S. Helps in Killing of Cartel Leader

Malcolm Ferguson, The New Republic

Violence broke out in parts of Mexico on Sunday after government security forces killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, or “El Mencho,” the country’s most wanted drug kingpin—with “intelligence support” from the United States.  El Mencho was killed in a …

Who Knew? Mindless And Corrupt Deregulation Apparently Kills People

Karl Bode, Techdirt

You might recall that a central pillar of the Trump administration during the last election season was that a second Trump term would “take aim at big tech,” protect the little guy, rein in corporate power, and even “continue the legacy of antitrust enforcers…

Map of countries aligning with China

Nathan Yau, Flowingdata.com

Using an analysis from Focaldata, the Guardian used the angled arrow approach to map countries that shifted towards China’s voting patterns between 2024 and 2025. By measuring how closely eac…

Trump to raise global tariffs. And, most say the state of the union is weak, poll says

Brittney Melton, NPR

President Trump says he is raising global tariffs to 15%. And ahead of the president's address tomorrow, most Americans say the state of the union is not strong, according to an NPR poll.

Apple faces new tariffs after Supreme Court ruling strikes down the old ones

Ben Lovejoy, 9to5Mac

The US Supreme Court has declared on Friday that most of the import tariffs imposed by the Trump administration last year were illegal. Trump’s response to this now leaves Apple in a worse position than it was in before. While lobbying by Apple had resulte…

US military begins withdrawing from key base in northeastern Syria

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Pullout comes after Syrian forces take control of northeast region from Kurdish-led SDF.

Call Them What They Are

Tom Nichols, The Atlantic

The Republican Party has become a haven for Nazi sympathizers.

DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin’s replacement is even worse

Amanda Marcotte, Salon

Kristi Noem isn’t shaking up DHS, she’s doubling down on violence and propaganda

Lawyer in SCOTUS case against Trump's tariffs says his clients want a refund

Steve Inskeep, NPR

Neal Katyal, one of the lawyers who defended U.S. businesses in the SCOTUS case against Trump's tariffs, argues that the federal government must refund them with interest.

Iran says ready for talks but will defend itself against US aggression

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Remarks from Ministry of Foreign Affairs come after Trump says he is considering an attack if nuclear deal not reached.

Watch ICE Agents Pepper Spray, Body Slam an 80-Year-Old Man in California

Jim Vorel, Jezebel

ICE agents don't care if you're a frail senior citizen; they'll still delight in the opportunity to inflict some physical punishment.

Stocks sell off as traders wake up to the realization that Trump has ‘highly punitive’ options for new trade tariffs

Jim Edwards, Yahoo Entertainment

Some of the things Trump might do next could be more extreme than his “Liberation Day” tariffs, and will certainly be more complex.

Kristi Noem Repeatedly Claimed ICE Deported a Cannibal. It Was “Completely Made Up.”

Nick Turse, The Intercept

Law enforcement sources told The Intercept that Noem’s tale about a cannibal was a fabrication. The post Kristi Noem Repeatedly Claimed ICE Deported a Cannibal. It Was “Completely Made Up.” appeared first on The Intercept.

Weed billboards all over Michigan are just embarrassing | Letters

Detroit Free Press

Freep readers sound off on Trump's threat to delay the Gordie Howe Bridge opening, and the proliferation of marijuana billboards in Michigan.

Jan Staller, Constructor of Image

Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker

The photographer shoots the bolts and beams of building sites. His latest subject? The Gateway tunnel project being targeted by Donald Trump, Nick Paumgarten reports.

The Judges and Juries Saving the Republic From Trump

Matt Ford, The New Republic

The Supreme Court has enabled many of the Trump administration’s worst abuses over the past 14 months, particularly when it comes to his mass deportation plans. The justices’ shadow docket has largely served as a Pez dispenser for injunctions to stay the most…

The Real State of the Union: Millions of Americans Are Just Disgusted

Michael Tomasky, The New Republic

This Tuesday night, America will bear witness to Donald Trump’s first State of the Union address of his second term. I know—the mere thought of it rots a little piece of our souls that we’re never getting back. At least you can skip it; I have to watch it. Wh…

Top Trump Stooge Has Tantrum After Keystone Kash Busted at Team USA Hockey Bash

Leigh Kimmins, Daily Beast

President Trump’s top mouthpiece has flipped out over criticism leveled at “Keystone” Kash Patel after the FBI director was busted celebrating with a U.S...

Football matches postponed in Mexico after drug cartel leader killed

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Cancelled games included the seventh round of the Clausura tournament in Mexico's premier MX professional league.

Video: Armed man killed after breaching perimeter of Trump residence

Al Jazeera English

US Secret Service ⁠agents killed a man who broke into the secure perimeter of President Donald Trump's Florida property.

Mexico descends into violence after cartel leader ‘El Mencho’ killed

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Killing of Jalisco cartel boss El Mencho triggers widespread violence and piles pressure on President Sheinbaum.

Donald Trump’s actions stir election concerns in the lead-up to US midterms

Joseph Stepansky, Al Jazeera English

November midterms will be first major US election since Trump took office and follow false claims over 2020 loss.

The Ukraine war in numbers: People, territory, money

John T Psaropoulos, Al Jazeera English

Four years into Russia's grinding war on Ukraine, Al Jazeera looks at the costs — to people, territory and treasuries.

EU diplomats to meet Board of Peace director over Gaza's future

SAM MCNEIL Associated Press, Abcnews.com

The European Union’s top diplomats are meeting with the director of the Board of Peace in Brussels

How Modi ‘broke down walls’ between India, Israel – at Palestine’s expense

Yashraj Sharma, Al Jazeera English

Under Modi, India, a long supporter of the Palestinian cause, has found a friend in Israel's Netanyahu despite genocide.

How Trump will use his State of the Union address to sell skeptical midterm voters on his plans

JOSH BOAK and MICHELLE L. PRICE, Yahoo Entertainment

President Donald Trump 's State of the Union address on Tuesday is likely to be a test run of the message that Republicans will give to voters in November's ...

WATCH: Powerful nor'easter intensifies

ABC News, Abcnews.com

This major nor'easter is hitting Atlantic City, New Jersey, from all sides with heavy snow, strong winds, and rough surf. Officials warn of up to three feet of coastal flooding during high tide.

FBI Director Kash Patel Pops Up In USA Hockey Team’s Locker Room After Gold Medal Win

tomt, Deadline

His boss is known to show up at the Super Bowl, the U.S. Open, UFC events, the FIFA World Cup Final and, of course, LIV Golf tournaments held at at Trump courses, but FBI director Kash Patel took it one step further this weekend, popping up in the locker room…

Just A Few Scary, Tragic, And Awful Things I Learned This Week

Crystal Ro, Buzzfeed

Lucy Harrison was visiting her father, Kris Harrison, when he fatally shot her in the chest following a huge argument about politics (specifically, Trump) and guns.View Entire Post ›

IT Staffing Firms (TCS, Cognizant, Infosis Underpay Developers by 80–100%

H1B Data Hub Research Team, H1bdatahub.com

Investigation reveals how India's top IT firms file 27% of H1B visas but pay 40% below tech industry average. The outsourcing model exposed through data.