Q ~ Trust Trump's Plan ~ 02/01/2026 Vol.516, Q Day 3,019

I think this is too much...there are little spots of good news amongst the bad.

https://freebeacon.substack.com/p/harvard-launching-new-green-major
Harvard Launching New Green Major Led by Divestment Activist
‘The fix is in!’ warns environmental economist, describing it as ‘slanted’; also, ‘Hamas minders … must be smiling’ at new Harvard award
Harvard University, under pressure from the Trump administration to reduce the power held by faculty “more committed to activism than scholarship,” is poised to approve a new major in “Energy, Climate, and Environment.” The major is spearheaded by a professor who co-chaired an activist group that pushed Harvard to divest from fossil fuels and demanded that the university “Provide funds and staff for faculty engaging in advocacy on climate change in Massachusetts and at the national/international level.”
The proposed major is already being mocked by Matthew Kahn, who is provost professor of economics at the University of Southern California and a visiting fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution. In a post on Substack, Kahn called the major ideologically “slanted.”

https://justthenews.com/government/security/exclusive-ice-arrests-illegal-migrants-convicted-violent-crimes-presidents-day
Exclusive: ICE arrests illegal migrants convicted of violent crimes in Presidents’ Day crackdown
The arrests occurred while DHS is in a government shutdown due to a lapse in federal funding. ICE operations are still going on because of funding from the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that was passed last year and its designation as essential to public safety.
The arrests occurred while DHS is in a government shutdown due to a lapse in federal funding. ICE operations are still going on because of funding from the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that was passed last year and its designation as essential to public safety.

The department said the arrests include illegal migrants who have been convicted of “heinous crimes” including false imprisonment, sexual assault and strangulation.
“While Americans celebrated Presidents’ Day, the heroic men and women of ICE law enforcement arrested more convicted criminals from our communities,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. “Yesterday’s arrests included gang members, rapists, and violent offenders. We won’t let anything slow us down from arresting and removing criminals from American neighborhoods—not even a federal holiday. Nearly 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S. ”
The arrests include an illegal migrant from El Salvador, who has been convicted of false imprisonment and felony possession of a firearm in Los Angeles, an illegal migrant from the Dominican Republic who has been convicted of fourth-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a child in Connecticut, and an illegal migrant from Venezuela who has been convicted of assault, battery, and strangulation in Virginia.
ICE officers also arrested an illegal migrant from the Bahamas who was convicted of malicious wounding in West Virginia, and an illegal migrant from Cuba who was convicted of alien smuggling and illegal entry into the United States in Texas.
A full list of illegal migrants who have been detained by ICE can be viewed here:https://www.dhs.gov/wow

https://justthenews.com/government/diplomacy/state-department-revokes-100k-visas-criminal-foreign-nationals
State Department revokes 100K visas from criminal foreign nationals
The department highlighted some of the arrests and convictions, including one foreign national who was convicted of sexually assaulting three women.
The State Department announced Tuesday that it has revoked visas from over 100,000 foreign nationals who have been arrested or convicted of crimes in the United States, including domestic violence and sexual assault.
“The United States has no obligation to host criminals who endanger the American people,” the department posted on X. “A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right. In this Trump Administration’s first year, we revoked over 100k visas from the Worst of the Worst - DUI, child abuse, and assault.”
The department highlighted some of the arrests and convictions, including one foreign national who was convicted of sexually assaulting three women. Another foreign national was arrested multiple times for domestic violence, public intoxication and violating bail. A third was arrested for sexually assaulting a minor.
“[President Trump] and [Secretary of State Marco Rubio] will defend our borders and our citizens by enforcing our immigration laws,” the department continued in the thread. “Aliens who take advantage of America’s hospitality while violating our laws and threatening the safety of our citizens will have their visas revoked.”

https://justthenews.com/nation/crime/person-likely-gun-arrested-near-capitol
Suspected gunman arrested near Capitol
The incident occurred near the west front of the U.S. Capitol Building.
United States Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan said Tuesday that a man has been arrested for allegedly carrying a shotgun and running toward the Capitol building in Washington, D.C.
The incident occurred near the west front of the U.S. Capitol Building at approximately noon. The incident occurred while congress is not in session, meaning most, if not all lawmakers, are not within the capitol complex.
Sullivan said the 18-year-old is not a local to the D.C. area and ran toward the Capitol building from a white Mercedes SUV. The man, who was not named, was coming from the direction of the National Mall, according to CBS News.
“This individual was challenged by United States Capitol Police officers in order to drop the weapon, which he did comply with,” Sullivan said at a news conference. “He laid down the weapon and then laid down on the ground and was taken into custody by our United States Capitol Police officers.”
The police chief said the man was wearing a tactical vest and had tactical gloves and the gun was loaded. Sullivan said police are not aware of a motive so far but that the investigation is still ongoing.

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/elections/early-voting-texas-primary-election-begins
Early voting begins for Texas primaries including closely watched Senate contests
The early voting period for the March 3 primary election ends on Feb. 27.
Early voting in the Texas primary election for statewide and congressional seats begins Tuesday.

The most high-profile contests will be those for seat of incumbent GOP Sen. John Cornyn, who is being challenged by Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt. The Democratic candidates competing for the seat are Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico.

Voters will also cast ballots for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, the state legislature, several statewide judicial seats and the U.S. House of Representatives.

The early voting period for the March 3 primary election ends on Feb. 27.
If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, then a primary runoff election will be held. In a runoff, the two candidates with the most votes will face off on May 26.
The primary elections for Arkansas and North Carolina are also on March 3, meaning all three states have the earliest primaries.

https://justthenews.com/government/diplomacy/kushner-witkoff-meet-iranian-officials-nuclear-talks-report
Kushner, Witkoff to meet with Iranian officials for nuclear talks: report
Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff previously met with Iranian delegates in Muscat, Oman, on Feb. 6
President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff are meeting Tuesday in Switzerland with Iranian officials for nuclear talks, according to a report.

Kushner and Witkoff are to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi will be serving as mediator, an unnamed senior Middle East diplomat told MS NOW. The meeting is the latest diplomatic effort to avert U.S. military action against Iran.

“Joined by nuclear experts, I will meet [International Atomic Energy Agency Director General] @rafaelmgrossi on Mon for deep technical discussion,” Araghchi posted on X on Monday. “Also meeting [Omani Foreign Minister] @badralbusaidi ahead of diplomacy with U.S. on Tues. I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal. What is not on the table: submission before threats.”

Kushner and Witkoff previously met with Iranian delegates in Muscat, Oman, on Feb. 6.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said his country is willing to reach a nuclear deal if the U.S. agrees to ease some or all of its sweeping sanctions, including restrictions on Iran’s oil exports, banking system, and access to the global financial network.
“We are ready to discuss this and other issues related to our program provided that they are ready also to talk about the sanctions. Because sanctions — as we call it, ‘illegal sanctions’ — those sanctions have to be also on the table,” Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC on Sunday.
Trump has called for regime change in Iran, and both he and the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have threatened each other with military action. The Defense Department sent a second aircraft carrier, the Gerald R. Ford, to the Middle East to join the USS Abraham Lincoln and other U.S. military assets.
“In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it,” Trump said Friday.
Iran has warned that, if threatened, it will target U.S. military bases in the region.

https://justthenews.com/government/security/combating-terror-sky-trumps-team-bolstering-security-neutralize-drone-attacks
Combating terror from the skies: Trump’s team bolstering security to neutralize drone attacks
Iranian proxies like Hamas and the Houthis have shown terror groups increasingly relying on inexpensive but potentially deadly commercial drones to wreak havoc.
With Iranian terror proxies like Hamas and the Houthis demonstrating they can use drone technology to kill civilians, President Donald Trump’s counterterrorism team is quietly fortifying America’s skies against future warfare from both state and non-state actors capable of using inexpensive flying machines to lethal effect.
Sebastian “Seb” Gorka, the Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council, said he has been presiding over a task force designed to create a counter-drone strategy to protect the homeland based on an executive order Trump signed earlier in his second presidency. That includes an “America-first” approach to contracting, officials said.
“Idiots and evildoers”
“Every month, we are bringing together all of the government to make sure that we own the skies,” Gorka told Just the News. “The phrase I use is that idiots and evildoers will not be allowed to fly drones in U.S. airspace, threatening Americans.”
“We will have an arsenal of democracy and American companies will be building the flying machines, the counter drone equipment here in America to protect the American skies,” he said.

😥
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/wyoming-legislature-fails-to-pass-amendment-to-defend-pro-life-laws-by-1-vote/
News
Wyoming legislature fails to pass amendment to defend pro-life laws by 1 vote
Several Republican senators joined with Democrats to block the amendment, though some Republicans suggested they would support another version of the measure.
The Wyoming Senate narrowly failed to advance a proposed constitutional amendment to protect state pro-life laws from judicial activism, with nine Republicans helping kill it.
Last month, the Wyoming Supreme Court ruled 4-1 that the Life Is a Human Right Act (which bans most abortions) and its 2024 ban on so-called “medication” abortions both violated language in Section 38 of the Wyoming Constitution guaranteeing the right of “competent adults” to make “health care decisions,” including the right to pay or accept “direct payment for health care without imposition of penalties or fines for doing so,” with the state legislature having only the discretion to “determine reasonable and necessary restrictions” to “protect the health and general welfare of the people.”

https://www.lifesitenews.com/analysis/shriners-hospital-for-children-is-run-by-freemasons-hires-doctors-involved-in-gender-transitions/
Shriners Hospital for Children is run by Freemasons, hires doctors involved in ‘gender transitions’
Physicians at Shriners Hospital for Children – which Catholics are forbidden from supporting – have promoted abortion and LGBT ideology, including transgender mutilation of children.
Shriners Hospital for Children is an institution born of Freemasonry and upholds Freemasonic tenets that are thoroughly incompatible with Christianity. One Shriner’s Hospital for Children location also hired multiple physicians who have not only engaged in LGBTQ and abortion activism but have actually participated in so-called “gender-affirming surgeries,” which are in actuality bodily mutilation.
The Shriners hospitals are run by the Freemasonic sect the Shriners, who are Master Masons. In their words, “Not all Masons are Shriners, but all Shriners are Masons.”

🤬
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/new-mexico-lawmakers-advance-bill-forcing-insurers-to-fund-abortion-gender-mutilation/
New Mexico lawmakers advance bill forcing insurers to fund abortion, gender mutilation
SB 189 is being fast-tracked through the New Mexico Democrat-led legislature and notably does not contain a religious exemption for abortion and ‘gender transition’ coverage.
SANTA FE (LifeSiteNews) — The New Mexico Senate Tax Committee has voted 6-4 to advance legislation that would force insurance companies to subsidize abortion, contraception, and “gender transition” procedures, with religious entities exempted from contraceptives but not the other objectionable items.
SB 189 requires group health insurance plans to “provide coverage for the total cost of [so-called] abortion care” and “gender-affirming care” (defined as any “procedure, service, drug, device or product [to treat] incongruence between the individual’s gender identity and the individual’s sex assignment at birth”; and “at least one product or form of contraception in each of the contraceptive method categories identified by the federal food and drug administration,” plus contraception’s “related clinical services.”

https://rairfoundation.substack.com/p/toronto-sees-massive-demonstration
Toronto Sees Massive Demonstration Against Iran’s Islamic
On February 14, hundreds of thousands gathered in Toronto for what became the largest anti-regime demonstrations ever held by the Iranian diaspora in Canada. What began as a major rally grew into a vast public assembly, with official estimates placing attendance at over 350,000 people, far exceeding early projections of 200,000. It was itself an enormous protest.
The demonstration was explicitly directed against the Islamic Republic of Iran, not against the Iranian people. Participants carried Iranian flags, chanted for freedom, and called for an end to clerical rule in Tehran. Many in the crowd described the event as an expression of solidarity with ongoing protest movements inside Iran and a demand for political change.
A Diaspora Mobilized
Iranian-Canadians traveled from across the country to attend, turning major Toronto streets into a sea of flags, banners, and voices united in opposition to the ruling regime. Signs and slogans reflected a wide spectrum of anti-government sentiment, including calls for democracy, women’s rights, and national sovereignty free from religious rule.

https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/02/idf-eliminates-hamas-terrorist-who-filmed-himself-infiltrating-reim-military-base/
IDF Eliminates Hamas Terrorist Who Filmed Himself Infiltrating Re’im Military Base
Commander of Islamic Jihad-Nukhba forces also killed in Israeli strikes.
With Gaza-based terror groups continuing deadly attacks on Israeli troops across the ceasefire line, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) responded by eliminating Palestinian terrorists on Sunday night. Those killed in Israeli strikes include Ahmad Bayouk, the terrorist who infiltrated the Re’im military base during the Hamas-led October 7 massacre.
Bayouk was seen filming himself on a GoPro-style camera as he infiltrated the IDF Base in southern Israel. A screengrab released by the IDF shows him grinning with Israeli road signs in the background.
Bayouk and his terrorist cell overran the Re’im base, murdering and wounding the Israeli defenders. “Four IDF soldiers were killed and seven were wounded while battling the terrorists in Re’im Base, which houses the Gaza Division, the regional unit responsible for the Strip and for protecting southern Israel.”

https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/02/rubios-munich-speech-a-powerful-message-delivered-with-grace-and-diplomacy/
Rubio’s Munich Speech: A Powerful Message Delivered With Grace and Diplomacy
Nothing is more pernicious than the enemy within, the self-doubt that erases any confidence in the principles that have made the West uniquely free and prosperous.
Rubio diagnosed the most significant impediment to future security and prosperity in the West — the cultural suicide that globalist leftist elites have been committing by constantly encouraging shame and guilt for the achievements of Western civilization.
Without cultural self-confidence, the iconic Greek victory at Marathon in 490 BC, which arguably saved Western civilization, would not have been won. When the 300 Spartans willingly sacrificed their lives in 480 BC to delay the Persian army at the mountain pass of Thermopylae, they were driven by patriotism and pride in their way of life. Imagine what would have happened if they had been brought up with a pervasive sense of guilt and shame for the flaws of their civilization. Without civilizational self-assurance, Greece would not have defeated the Persians, and Europe would not have become the bearer of Classical, and subsequently, Judeo-Christian ideals.
Nothing is more pernicious than the enemy within, the self-doubt that erases any confidence in the principles that have made the West uniquely free and prosperous. No one claims that Western civilization is perfect, but it is high time we stopped apologizing for it. We should remind ourselves, and teach our children, that Western values are not a questionable choice from the morally relativistic buffet table of multiculturalism. We should affirm the simple fact that Western values, which reflect universally beneficial ideals as expressed in the American founding documents, have not surprisingly engendered the most magnificent and extraordinary examples of human flourishing.

https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/02/elementary-school-teacher-resigns-following-pro-ice-comments-on-social-media/
Elementary School Teacher Resigns Following Pro-ICE Comments on Social Media
“had been placed on leave pending an investigation”
This is how crazy things have gotten. Defending ICE can cause a scandal on the left.
Many teachers and administrators across the country are allowing students to participate in anti-ICE walkout protests … which just happens to align with the official stance of some teachers’ union affiliates.
If you’re an educator with the opposite view on the subject, however, you might want to be careful.
As noted the end of last month by The College Fix, a teacher who simply wrote “Go ICE” on a social media page about immigration activities was ripped by the town’s mayor, who then encouraged the community to protest the teacher.
That teacher, identified as a 14-year veteran elementary phys. ed. instructor, had been placed on leave pending an investigation. ABC-7 reports he officially resigned last week due to the backlash over his comment.
According to a GoFundMe set up for the teacher, “a misleading portrayal” and “false narrative” fomented in part by Mayor Daniel Bovey and State Senator Karina Villa led to a characterization “that could not be further from who [the teacher] truly is.”
🚨 A dedicated PE teacher with 14 years at Gary Elementary in West Chicago was forced to resign after a single social media comment supporting ICE sparked massive backlash & unfair pressure.

The top elites losing power and position over Epstein fallout
Speculation over Jeffrey Epstein’s relationships with powerful global figures has attracted attention for years, and interest has only grown since President Donald Trump signed a law mandating the DOJ release its files on the case.
he Trump Department of Justice has faced intense scrutiny for its handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and prosecutors’ decision not to bring charges against anybody found in the million-plus-page dossier to have associated with the now-deceased sex-crime offender. But that hasn’t stopped other countries and the private sector from tearing down their own implicated elites.

The most clear example is perhaps former Prince Andrew, Duke of York, whose email exchanges with Epstein along with pictures of him next to women appeared in a recent batch of publicly released files.

King Charles III late last year formally stripped Andrew of all royal titles, and he was evicted from his residence as a consequence. The move followed long-time concerns and controversy about Andrew’s personal and official diplomatic relationship with the wealthy Epstein, which resulted in the Royal Family retiring him from public life years ago, largely after a following a botched interview in which Andrew attempted to defend himself. Still, he is not expected to face criminal prosecution.

Among the others are:

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem

Bin Sulayem was the chairman and CEO of DP World until earlier this month, when the Dubai government announced the appointment of a new CEO and chairman, without mentioning Bin Sulayem.
His exact relationship with Epstein remains somewhat unclear, though he was one of six men whom Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., named on the House floor as having a connection to Epstein. Four of the men were later revealed to merely be part of a lineup and had no meaningful connection to Epstein in their own right.
[Many more examples]

https://justthenews.com/government/courts-law/trump-administration-finds-greater-success-immigration-cases-appellate-level
Trump administration finds greater success in immigration cases at appellate level
A recent new report analyzing thousands of immigration detention cases found that 373 federal district judges have ruled against the administration’s interpretation of a 1996 federal immigration law, affecting at least 3,500 cases.
President Donald Trump’s aggressive push for immigration reform has largely stalled in federal district courts, where judges across the country have blocked key elements of his agenda.

As those legal battles intensify, however, the administration is finding greater success at the appellate level – particularly in conservative-leaning circuits such as the Fifth. A recent ruling there has revived the president’s mass detention strategy, underscoring the uneven legal terrain facing the White House as the Supreme Court looms as the ultimate arbiter.
District courts push back on mandatory detention
At the federal district court level, where nearly all cases begin, the Trump administration’s immigration agenda has faced sustained judicial resistance. This pattern is especially evident in litigation challenging the administration’s mandatory detention protocols.
Last summer, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced a sweeping new policy requiring the detention without bond of all illegal aliens who enter the United States unlawfully. The policy marked a sharp departure from prior administrations, which limited mandatory detention to far narrower categories of illegal immigrants.

https://justthenews.com/government/federal-agencies/enforcement-agreements-between-ice-local-police-climbed-950-trumps
Enforcement agreements between ICE, local police climbed by 950% in Trump’s first year of 2nd term
The agreements are legal as part of the 1996 Immigration and Nationality Act. But the Obama administration ended the agreements in 2012, citing racial profiling and other similar issues.
Enforcement agreements between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local and state law enforcement agencies have massively increased during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term in office.
An analysis by the criminal justice reform advocacy group FWD.us, found that there has been more than a 900% increase, from 135 in January 2025 to now in which there are 1,372 agreements between local law enforcement agencies and ICE.
From January 2025 through early September, the number of these so-called 287(g) agreements increased from 135 to 958. ICE announced at that time that it would fully reimburse participating local and state agencies for the annual salary and benefits of each eligible trained officer under that model.

[Whisky Tango Foxtrot????]
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-leo-approved-beatification-process-for-bishop-who-let-indigenous-children-touch-his-genitals/
Pope Leo approved beatification process for bishop who let indigenous children touch his genitals
Msgr. Alejandro Labaka admitted in his writings to ‘lying down naked’ in bed with a youth who he said had previously made homosexual advances.
A “missionary” bishop made “Venerable” and green-lighted for the beatification process by Pope Leo XIV allowed indigenous youth to touch his genitals and shared a bed naked with a youth who had previously made “provocative homosexual attempts,” recently published reports show.
In May 2025, Leo declared Msgr. Alejandro Labaka “Venerable” along with Sr. Inés Arango Velásquez, with whom he worked. InfoCatolica recently highlighted concerning passages in Labaka’s autobiographical writings in which the bishop recounted his observations of disordered sexual practices of the Huaorani people in the Amazon. Of particular concern is one time when he admittedly allowed the indigenous youth to arouse him.

[WE NEED BABIES!]
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/us-births-declined-in-2025-after-2024-bump-new-cdc-data/
US births declined in 2025 after 2024 bump: new CDC data
The decrease in births is attributed to a decline of Christianity and marriage and to COVID mandates and other policies that devastated the economy.
The Associated Press reports that, according to the latest provisional data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a little more than 3.6 million births were reported in 2025, which is 24,000 fewer than the year before. The final data is not expected to differ by more than a “few thousand.”
Full data is not yet available shedding light on all the factors behind the trend, but the primary drivers are generally attributed to both social and economic factors, such as marrying later in life, foregoing marriage at all, and fears of being financially capable of supporting a baby, which have persisted since COVID-19 policies largely shut down the U.S. economy. The post-virus reopening had been associated with a two-year jump in birth rates, but the downward trend resumed in 2023.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/trump-honors-pro-life-work-of-susan-b-anthony-in-official-statement/
Trump honors pro-life work of Susan B. Anthony in official statement
‘On what would have been her 206th birthday, we recommit to the timeless truth she spent her life defending: that every human being is made in the holy image of God.’
Presidential Message on Susan B. Anthony Day
Today, we honor the life and legacy of Susan B. Anthony—a true American giant and an unwavering advocate for the cause of human dignity. On what would have been her 206th birthday, we recommit to the timeless truth she spent her life defending: that every human being is made in the holy image of God.
Susan B. Anthony was a champion for women’s suffrage, abolition, the sanctity of life, and the dignity of work. During her storied life, she co-founded the National Woman Suffrage Association, traveled the Nation delivering inspiring speeches to crowds of thousands, and never stopped fighting to advance the cause of liberty. Her tireless efforts later laid the foundation for the ratification of the 19th Amendment—securing women’s right to vote. Anthony is also remembered for her fierce moral clarity in condemning abortion and her steadfast work to end slavery.

https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/shapiro-charged-taxpayers-luxury-hotels-critics-question-spending
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro stayed at luxury hotels on taxpayer money, critics question spending
In the Keystone State, Shapiro enjoys a 60% approval rating, according to a Morning Consult poll released on Feb. 3. He is running for a second term in office this fall. His likely opponent will be State Treasurer Stacy Garity, the GOP’s presumptive nominee.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat and a likely 2028 presidential candidate, spent nearly $1,700 of taxpayer dollars for three nights at high-end, luxury hotels, according to records The Center Square obtained under state open records laws.
The hotel stays were for two ceremonial political events. Shapiro spoke at an annual parade in downtown Pittsburgh on Labor Day two years ago and attended the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. last January. Neither hotel is the most expensive in its city, and each per-night stay would have been less on an ordinary occasion.
But one Republican lawmaker, a frequent critic, said Shapiro’s travels highlight his lack of regard for state taxpayers and their money. “From luxury hotel stays, to extensive travel on state aircraft, and a VIP tent at the US Open in Oakmont, Governor Shapiro certainly appears to be trying to live the lifestyle of the rich and famous at taxpayer expense,” State Senator Jarrett Coleman, a Republican, said in a statement to The Center Square.

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/iranian-navy-organizes-military-drills-ahead-nuclear-talks-us
Iranian navy organizes military drills ahead of nuclear talks with U.S.
The administration has floated additional strikes in the event that Iran does not abandon its nuclear ambitions.
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean and is a critical waterway for much of the world’s oil shipments, including those from Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. A naval blockade of the strait could theoretically bring a large of global energy to a screeching halt.
The exercises come as Tehran officials plan to meet with special envoy Steve Witkoff in Switzerland on Tuesday, according to The Hill.
The Trump administration previously launched strikes on Iranian nucelar facilities in 2025, leading to a short exchange of fire between Iran and Israel in the immediate aftermath.
The administration has floated additional strikes in the event that Iran does not abandon its nuclear ambitions.

https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/heavy-voter-registration-losses-continue-democrats
Democrats in North Carolina suffering heavy voter registration losses
Amid decreases overall and by both major parties, the bloc of independent voter registrations in North Carolina grew by more than 2,000 in the past seven days. Since Jan. 17, the Democratic bloc has lost 3,134, according to analysis.
Amid decreases overall and by both major parties, the bloc of independent voter registrations in North Carolina grew by more than 2,000 in the past seven days.
Since Jan. 17, the Democratic bloc has lost 3,134, according to analysis by The Center Square on records published by the State Board of Elections. It’s a steady erosion for the party that claimed 47.6% of more than 5 million registrations on Jan. 1, 2004, while Republicans were at 34.4% and independents 17.7%.
Total voter registrations, more than 7.8 million on Election Day 2024, remain more than 7.7 million. Routine maintenance throughout the year is a key contributing factor to the volume changes.

https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/lawsuit-filed-against-dallas-officials-not-fully-funding-police
Lawsuit filed against Dallas officials for not fully funding police
Suit alleges city officials acted beyond their legal authority by underfunding the Dallas Police Department.
allas city officials have been sued for refusing to comply with Proposition U, a public safety measure Dallas voters approved in the November 2024 election. It mandates increased funding for police and other public safety priorities after a movement was launched in 2021, including by the Austin City Council, to defund police.
That year, Gov. Greg Abbott and the state legislature prioritized several “Back the Blue” bills, which are now law. One law requires municipalities to lose state funding if they defund their police. At the local level, voter-led ballot initiatives sought to add local requirements and penalties for city councils that defunded police. In Austin, one failed after outside money poured in, voters supporting increased funding for police argued, The Center Square reported.

https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/abbott-hud-investigating-islamic-community-north-texas
Texas Gov. Abbott, HUD investigating Islamic community in north Texas
HUD Secretary Scott Turner directed HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity to investigate the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) for potential violations of the Fair Housing Act.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner directed HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity to investigate the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) for potential violations of the Fair Housing Act in response to a request by the state of Texas.

At issue is a real estate development, EPIC City, near Josephine, Texas, being built by Community Capital Partners (CCP) affiliated with EPIC. In 2024, EPIC announced plans to build 1,000 homes, a K-12 Islamic school, athletic fields and retail space on a 400-acre complex in Collin and Hunt counties.

EPIC says it’s “a multi-ethnic, multi-racial, multi-lingual, non-sectarian, diverse, and open community” that is “committed to civic and civil engagement with communities of other faiths and society at large.” It’s also affiliated with the Qalam Collegiate Academy, which provided middle and high school education in line with Texas Education Agency guidelines.

Last March, Gov. Greg Abbott issued a series of directives, including directing the Texas Workforce Commission to investigate EPIC to determine if it had violated the Texas Fair Housing Act. TWC said it found “a large-scale pattern of religious discriminatory conduct by the developers,” including producing marketing materials promoting EPIC City as an exclusively “Muslim community” to represent “the epicenter of Islam in America.” It also alleges discriminatory financial terms requiring lot owners to subsidize a mosque and Islamic educational centers and a “bias sales mechanism consisting of a two-tier lottery system for lot sales, which granted lot access to Tier One buyers.”

https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/27-members-tda-anti-tren-members-charged-new-york
27 members of Tren de Aragua, splinter faction members charged in New York
Those charged, all illegally in the U.S., “planned and carried out a series of horrific crimes, including gunpoint robberies, murders, and the exploitation of vulnerable young women through sex trafficking,” prosecutor said.
An additional 27 members of Venezuelan transnational criminal organizations, Tren de Aragua and its splinter faction, anti-Tren, have been indicted in New York in an ongoing prosecution of groups the Trump administration has designated as foreign terrorist organizations.
Last year, several hundred TdA members were federally indicted, including on terrorism charges for the first time in U.S. history, The Center Square reported. Seventy indictments unsealed in December were brought by U.S. attorneys in five states: Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York and Texas.
Last month, 87 more TdA members were indicted in Nebraska for bank and ATM theft being committed nationwide to further their criminal enterprise, The Center Square reported.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton in the Southern District of New York, detailed what he called “horrific crimes” allegedly committed against women.
A newly unsealed indictment lists 38 charges of racketeering, murder, double murder, murder-for-hire, kidnapping, sex trafficking and other offenses. The majority of the 27 defendants charged, 21, were previously charged in another 12-count indictment. Five of the six newly added defendants are in federal custody; one remains at large.
Those charged, all illegally in the U.S., “planned and carried out a series of horrific crimes, including gunpoint robberies, murders, and the exploitation of vulnerable young women through sex trafficking,” Clayton said. “Tren de Aragua is in the business of murder, sex trafficking and intimidation, and they brought that business to New York while being unlawfully present in the United States.” Those charged “exerted ruthless control over sex trafficking victims through intimidation, brutality, and threats of violence against them and their loved ones – leaving lasting trauma in their wake.”

[?!?!?!]
https://thepostmillennial.com/dallas-judge-declares-mistrial-in-capital-murder-case-against-tren-de-aragua-gang-member-after-deadlocked-jury
Dallas judge declares mistrial in capital murder case against Tren de Aragua gang member after deadlocked jury
“Let the record reflect that the jury has been deliberating three full days on the matter. That being the case, the court will declare a mistrial in this case.”
The Farmers Branch Police Department said that 25-year-old Bolivar had been involved in the kidnapping of Nilzuhly Petit, Petit’s daughter, and his nephew from a Dallas apartment complex in August 2024, with Petit later being shot and killed. The Department of Homeland Security said that Bolivar and three other suspects charged in the case are “illegally present Venezuelan nationals and documented members of Tren de Aragua.”
Police said that Petit had been involved in a “complex ATM theft operation targeting several locations nationwide,” and that after a recent ATM theft, “the suspects accused Petit of withholding portions of the stolen money from other group members.” Petit was confronted by the group, who demanded payment, and Petit, his daughter, and his nephew were forcibly taken from an apartment in Farmers Branch. Petit was driven nearby and fatally shot.
During closing arguments, prosecutors said Bolivar played a major role in the kidnapping and murder, saying that Bolivar had been on the phone with a Tren de Aragua boss. Bolivar’s defense claimed that he was a victim of sex trafficking by the gang, and that he feared for his life and the lives of his family.

https://gellerreport.com/2026/02/supreme-court-hands-trump-huge-victory-clears-path-to-freeze-4-billion-in-foreign-aid.html/
Supreme Court Hands Trump HUGE Victory, Clears Path to Freeze $4 Billion in Foreign Aid
The U.S. Supreme Court will allow the federal government to freeze more than $4 billion in foreign aid payments that President Trump tried to cancel last month using a rare “pocket rescission.”
The justices voted 6-3 to grant the Trump administration’s emergency appeal, which stopped a lower court’s order to release the funds that had already been set aside.
A spokesperson for the White House Office of Management and Budget said, “This is a huge win for restoring the President’s power to carry out his policies. Left-wing groups can no longer take over the president’s agenda.

https://gellerreport.com/2026/02/murdering-mullahs.html/
Mass Protests Against Murdering Mullahocracy Reignite in Multiple Cities in Iran
Street protests are reigniting in Iran.
Crowds chanting “Death to Khamenei.”
The bravery! Even after the mass slaughter, the Iranians will would give their lives rather then live under the boot of brutal Islamic law. The butchers shut down the internet so that their atrocities are hidden from the world.
Calls against the regime in Iran and “Death to Khamenei” in Ilam province in Iran—approaching the completion of the 40 days of mourning for the victims of the protests.

https://gellerreport.com/2026/02/firsthand-report-from-nigeria-muslims-roasted-pastor-and-his-wife-alive-in-the-church-we-heard-their-screams.html/
Firsthand Report from Nigeria: Muslims ‘Roasted Pastor and His Wife Alive In The Church. We Heard Their Screams’
The media and the left’s blackout cover-up of the horrific Islamic genocide in Nigeria continues. The Islamic genocide of Christians in Africa has gone unanswered far too long. The world shrugs because the perpetrators aren’t Jews — and the victims go agains the absurd mantra the left-wing media clubs us to death with, “Islam is peace.’

These attacks are not only causing mass death and injury, but also poverty, internal displacement, human trafficking, refugee crises and human rights violations. This is particularly devastating for women and children, who are often left without a home, livelihood or family, making them vulnerable to trafficking and sexual violence. But women’s groups are busy calling for annihilation of the Jewish state, the only free country in the Middle East that welcomes all peoples.
“This is a genocidal campaign by a Muslim population against a Christian population. This is how Islam expands. Its borders are always red because they bleed with the blood of Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists and all non-Muslims.”

[Of course!]
https://gellerreport.com/2026/02/witkoff-and-kushner-tell-trump-nuclear-deal-with-iran-difficult-to-impossible.html/
Witkoff and Kushner Tell Trump Nuclear Deal With Iran ‘Difficult to Impossible’
Not ‘difficult to impossible’ – just impossible. Iran will never agree to dismantle it’s nuclear program. Any deal that Iran’s leaders do sign with the Trump Administration, will be ripped to shreds as soon as President Trump leaves office in January 2029. Only decisive military action by the U.S and Israel will prevent Iran from going nuclear. President Trump must stop these insane negotiations with Iran’s leaders. Enough.

https://gellerreport.com/2026/02/rubio-to-europe-america-will-not-be-caretaker-of-a-dying-west.html/
Rubio to Europe: America Will Not Be Caretaker of a Dying West
“America has no interest in being polite and orderly caretakers of the West’s managed decline.”
Our Secretary of State was bullish on America, but he also made a plea for the West:
“We are part of one civilization, Western civilization. We are bound to one another by the deepest bonds that nations could share, forged by centuries of shared history, Christian faith, culture, heritage, language, ancestry, and the sacrifices our forefathers made together for the common civilization to which we have fallen air. And so this is why we Americans may sometimes come off as a little direct and urgent in our council. This is why President Trump demands, seriousness and reciprocity from our friends here in Europe. The reason why, my friends, is because we care deeply. We care deeply about your future and ours. And if at times we disagree, our disagreements come from our profound sense of concern about a Europe with which we are connected. Not just economically, not just militarily. We are connected spiritually and we are connected culturally. We want Europe to be strong. We believe that Europe must survive because the two great wars of the last century serve for us as history’s constant reminder that ultimately our destiny is and will always be intertwined with yours because we know, know that the fate of Europe will never be irrelevant to our own national security, which this conference is largely about, is not merely a series of technical questions, how much we spend on defense or where, how we deploy it. Later, on America: America have no interest in being polite and orderly caretakers of the West’s managed decline. We do not seek to separate but to revitalize an old friendship and renew the greatest civilization in human history.
[His talk at link]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOjBJ89aeXA

https://www.lifenews.com/2026/02/17/planned-parenthood-abortion-biz-will-close-florida-center/
Planned Parenthood Abortion Biz Will Close Florida Center
The Planned Parenthood abortion business is closing yet another abortion center.
Planned Parenthood is closing its Lakeland, Florida center, ending more than 50 years of operations in Polk County amid a national trend of facility reductions after federal defunding and declining revenues.
The Planned Parenthood at 2250 E. Edgewood Drive in the Ruthven Center II shopping plaza will cease services by appointment on March 6, with full closure on March 13, according to a notice yesterday. Every Planned Parenthood makes abortion referrals and arranges sales of the abortion pill even if it does not kill babies in abortions on site.

https://www.lifenews.com/2026/02/17/8000-babies-have-been-saved-through-abortion-pill-reversal/
8,000 Babies Have Been Saved Through Abortion Pill Reversal
Heartbeat International announced today that more than 8,000 lives have been saved through the Abortion Pill Rescue® Network (APRN), marking a significant milestone in its effort to provide immediate medical care to women who regret beginning a chemical abortion.

The Abortion Pill Rescue® Network connects women to licensed medical professionals who may prescribe bioidentical progesterone after a woman has taken mifepristone, the first drug in a chemical abortion regimen. When administered quickly, progesterone can counteract the effects of mifepristone and help sustain the pregnancy.
Chemical abortion now accounts for the majority of abortions in the United States, and abortion drugs are increasingly obtained online or by mail. As access has expanded, inquiries to the APR hotline have continued to rise.
“This milestone represents far more than a number,” said Jor-El Godsey, president of Heartbeat International. “Each life saved reflects a woman who had a change of heart and was met with immediate, compassionate medical care. In a culture that moves at the speed of a click, our response must be just as fast. The Abortion Pill Rescue Network is here so that no woman who regrets starting a chemical abortion feels alone or without options.”

https://www.lifenews.com/2026/02/17/60-republicans-support-lawsuit-to-stop-mail-order-abortions/
60 Republicans Support Lawsuit to Stop Mail-Order Abortions
A coalition of 60 lawmakers filed an amicus brief supporting a lawsuit to limit the abortion pill after the Trump administration requested a pause to the case, The Daily Signal can first report.
On Friday, 58 Republican representatives and senators, led by Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, filed the amicus brief in support of Louisiana’s effort to restore the in-person dispensing requirement on the abortion pill.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill filed a lawsuit in 2025 challenging a Biden-era rule allowing abortion drugs to be dispensed to women through the mail without seeing a doctor first. A hearing for State of Louisiana v. Food and Drug Administration is scheduled for Feb. 24.

https://gellerreport.com/2026/02/over-a-million-people-march-in-solidarity-with-iran-protesters.html/
OVER A MILLION People March in Solidarity with Iran Protesters
With gatherings in Toronto, Los Angeles and Munich and beyond. Iran International: Over one million Iranians rallied across Europe, North America and Australia on Saturday in response to a call by exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi, while nighttime chants echoed from rooftops and apartment blocks inside Iran in a coordinated show of solidarity. The largest gatherings took place in Toronto, Los Angeles and Munich, the three cities highlighted in the exiled prince’s calls for solidarity rallies, where almost one million demonstrated. In Munich, the local police estimated the crowd at around 250,000 people. Protesters filled the Theresienwiese grounds, waving lion-and-sun flags and chanting slogans in support of the national uprising in Iran.

https://jihadwatch.org/2026/02/india-muslim-leader-ajfarul-haq-arrested-in-love-trap-and-forced-conversion-racket-targeting-hundreds-of-hindu-women
India: Muslim Leader Ajfarul Haq Arrested in Love-Trap and Forced Conversion Racket Targeting Hundreds of Hindu Women
On February 3, 2026, the Uttar Pradesh police arrested Ajfarul Haq, also known as Prince, a local Islamic leader from Mumbai associated with the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), in connection with a large-scale “love-trap” and forced religious conversion racket operating out of Basti district in Uttar Pradesh. Haq was arrested in Bandra, Mumbai, after evading police for several weeks following the registration of a serious criminal case against him and multiple associates.
The case originated from a complaint filed by a young Hindu woman from the Kalwari area in Basti who accused Haq of faking his identity to initiate a relationship with her. She added that the accused posed as a Hindu, wore religious symbols, and promised marriage and employment in order to gain her trust. She alleged that, beginning in early 2022, he sexually exploited her under false pretences and later pressured her to convert to Islam. When the victim confronted him, Haq and his family members allegedly assaulted and threatened her and her relatives to prevent her from approaching authorities.

https://jihadwatch.org/2026/02/in-europe-can-civil-war-be-avoided-part-1-colonel-kemp
In Europe, Can Civil War Be Avoided? (Part 1: Colonel Kemp)
There are now 48 million Muslims in Europe. More arrive every day, in an unstoppable flow, hoping to live off the largesse of the continent’s generous welfare states. And while European women have fertility rates of 1.6 children, far below the replacement level of 2.1, the fertility rates of Muslim women is 2.6, which means that every year, the percentage of the European population that is Muslim inexorably rises. The large-scale presence of so many Muslims has created a situation for the indigenous non-Muslims that is much more unpleasant, expensive, and physically dangerous than would be the case without that large-scale presence. And now there are those who believe that at this point, civil war in Europe is unavoidable.
Major unrest is inevitable because “we don’t really live in a democracy” and political decisions are being made to “appease” and to avoid lesser unrest today rather than fend off greater trouble in the future, Colonel Richard Kemp has said.A former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, retired Colonel Richard Kemp — now a prominent commentator on security and political issues — has told Israeli media his concerns about social cohesion in Europe and Britain, and the risk of civil war.
Colonel Kemp, who also fought eight years of counter-insurgency operations on British soil in Northern Ireland and had intelligence roles in Westminster and the Cabinet Office, spoke to Israeli broadcaster i24News about integration failures that allegedly saw more “British Muslims” fighting against the British Army in Afghanistan than for it.

[Ineptitude? No, on purpose!]
https://jihadwatch.org/2026/02/can-civil-war-in-europe-be-avoided-part-2-professor-betz
Can Civil War In Europe Be Avoided? (Part 2: Professor Betz)
The discourse about the risk of civil unrest in Western countries is steadily growing, but has not yet been publicly addressed by any government, as doing so would necessarily accelerate deterioration. The first to address the subject in the public sphere was King’s College London War Studies Professor David Betz, who applied the longstanding, widely respected theory and literature of civil war research to Western nations such as the United Kingdom and France and concluded that the prerequisites for conflict were already present.
Professor Betz has been public about this developing situation since 2019, although in the past year has started to signal that Western countries have passed the run-up period and are now at the “tipping point”. As reported last summer, the academic said in an interview:
“it now appears to be too late to actually prevent things getting “very much worse”, and urged decision-makers to act to at least cushion the blow.
In a chilling warning, the academic said, “I would probably avoid big cities. I would suggest you reduce your exposure to big cities if you are able”. The coming violence, he believes, has been made inevitable by decades of government ineptitude and can’t be totally avoided.

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