February 18, 2026
House Republicans threaten to force Russia sanctions vote after giving leadership ‘one last chance’
A pair of House Republicans could soon mount an effort to force a chamber-wide vote on sanctioning Russia for its war in Ukraine after months of back-and-forth between the House, Senate and White House yielded little movement on the issue. ‘This coming week, Brian Fitzpatrick’s sanctions bill…ripens, so we can actually submit it as a […]
February 18, 2026
Leavitt scoffs at reporter who questioned when Trump has been ‘falsely called racist’: ‘You’re kidding?’
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday pushed back on a reporter who asked for examples of when the president had been ‘falsely called racist.’ ‘Yesterday, in his statement about Jesse Jackson, the president said ‘despite the fact that I’m falsely and consistently called a racist by the scoundrels and lunatics and the radical […]
February 18, 2026
Rubio announces designation for Nicaraguan prison official tied to alleged human rights violations
The U.S. took aim at Nicaragua’s regime over alleged human rights violations, announcing a designation against a prison official. ‘Today I’m designating Nicaraguan Prison Director Roberto Clemente Guevara Gómez for his involvement in gross violations of human rights,’ Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a post on X. ‘We continue to call for accountability […]
February 18, 2026
Warner Bros. Discovery reopens talks with Paramount
Warner Bros. Discovery said Tuesday that it was reopening talks with Paramount Skydance, giving the studio a week to rival Netflix in its bid to take over the streaming and cable giant. In a statement, Warner Bros. Discovery said it had rejected the latest $30-a-share offer from Paramount but would give the company until Monday […]
February 18, 2026
Former Victoria Secret CEO denies connection to Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes
Les Wexner, a billionaire businessman and former client of Jeffrey Epstein, said in a statement shared Wednesday with members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee he had no contact with Epstein after the sex offender’s first conviction — nor did he have any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. “I completely and irrevocably cut ties […]
February 18, 2026
Ukraine makes fastest gains in years as Russia talks stall, exploiting cracks in Kremlin command
As U.S.-backed negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Geneva ended without a breakthrough, Kyiv made gains on the battlefield, recapturing territory at its fastest pace in years through localized counterattacks along the southeastern front. The advances come as analysts point to disruptions in Russian battlefield communications and shifting operational dynamics, developments that could strengthen Ukraine’s […]
February 18, 2026
GOP warns Democrats using DHS shutdown to stall Senate voter ID push
Senate Republicans are hoping to move full steam ahead on Trump-backed voter ID legislation, but there’s one problem — the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is still shut down. Though negotiations between Senate Democrats and the White House are still ongoing, albeit at a molasses-like pace, there is no clear sign that a deal will […]
February 18, 2026
Former Rep MTG asserts that Americans don’t want US war against Iran
As the possibility of U.S. military action against Iran looms, former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene asserted in a post on X that Americans do not want the U.S. to wage war against the Islamic Republic. ‘Americans do not want to go to war with Iran!!!’ Greene exclaimed in the post. ‘They want to be able […]
February 18, 2026
Ex-Victoria’s Secret CEO tells House investigators he was ‘conned’ by Epstein in closed-door deposition
The House Oversight Committee is hearing from a billionaire on Wednesday who was named one of Jeffrey Epstein’s co-conspirators by a 2019 FBI document. Les Wexner is the latest person to be deposed in the House’s investigation into the federal government’s handling of Epstein’s case. He told House investigators that he was ‘conned’ by the […]
February 18, 2026
Some Democrats plan boycott of Trump’s State of the Union
A slate of Democrats plan to skip President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address to Congress next week and instead will attend a counterprogramming event on the National Mall that same evening. The rally, dubbed the “People’s State of the Union,” will include lawmakers who skipped Trump’s first and second inaugurations, underscoring a small […]
February 18, 2026
House GOP moves to cement Trump energy agenda by taking sledgehammer to Biden-era regulations
A newly proposed bill by House Republicans would cement President Donald Trump’s energy agenda by taking a sledgehammer to a vast array of his Democrat predecessor’s regulations. Rep. Craig Goldman, R-Texas, is introducing legislation that would give all future energy-related regulations a five-year sunset window, while requiring many existing rules to be amended with a […]
February 18, 2026
Mysterious 2020 explosion in China had hallmarks of nuclear test, US official alleges
A senior U.S. official offered new details Tuesday night about an alleged nuclear bomb test conducted by China in June 2020. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Yeaw spoke at a Hudson Institute event in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, and said evidence of the explosion came from a seismic station in Kazakhstan. The station detected a […]