Democratic Underground: Forums for U.S. Liberals and Democrats

New Mexico approves comprehensive probe of Epstein's Zorro Ranch

(Reuters) New Mexico lawmakers on Monday passed legislation to launch what they said was the first full investigation into what happened at Zorro Ranch, where the late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is accused of trafficking and sexually assaulting girls and women. A bipartisan committee will seek testimony from survivors of alleged sexual abuse at the ranch, located about 30 miles south of Santa Fe, the state capital. Legislators are also urging local residents to testify.

BumRushDaShow

Rev. Jesse Jackson, civil rights icon and two-time presidential candidate, dies at 84

(NBC News) The Rev. Jesse Jackson, the longtime civil rights activist, Baptist minister and two-time presidential candidate, died Tuesday, his family said. He was 84. "Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” the Jackson family said in a statement. “We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family. His unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions, and we ask you to honor his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by.”

demmiblue

Colbert Says CBS Refused To Air His Interview With Democrat Candidate Fearing FCC Blowback

(Forbes) Late Show host Stephen Colbert on Monday said CBS refused to air his interview with James Talarico, the Democratic Senate candidate from Texas, due to the Federal Communications Commission’s recent decision to enforce its “equal time” mandate on talk shows. During a segment of his show on Monday night, Colbert told the audience Talarico was “supposed to be here” as a guest on the show, but CBS’s lawyers told the Late Show team “in no uncertain terms…that we could not have him on the broadcast.” Colbert said the network’s lawyers also told him he was not allowed to mention this issue on air, before adding: “because my network clearly doesn't want us to talk about this, let's talk about this.”

Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

FBI won't share evidence related to Alex Pretti shooting, state says

(USA Today) The FBI notified Minnesota state investigators that it will not share information or evidence related to the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis, the state's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said in a Feb. 16 statement. The news comes after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and other officials expressed hope that federal authorities would cooperate with the state in an investigation into the killing of Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse whose death triggered nationwide protests and bipartisan calls for an independent investigation.

KS Toronado

Tuesday's Condensed News Cartoons

BumRushDaShow

A measure giving Congress the power to block Trump pardons draws Republican backing

(Axios) A proposed Constitutional amendment that would give Congress the power to block presidential pardons gained its first House Republican co-sponsor on Monday. It's a rare display of GOP defiance against President Trump, whose pardons have been the subject of bipartisan backlash in several cases. Rep. Johnny Olszewski (D-Md.), who is leading the amendment, announced Monday that Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) has signed on as the first Republican co-sponsor of the Pardon Integrity Act.

BumRushDaShow

ICE contracts fuel revenue surge for owners of for-profit immigration detention centers

(Scripps) The first year of President Trump's push to arrest and deport undocumented immigrants was a financial boon for two companies that own and operate private detention centers. CoreCivic and The GEO Group both reported their year-end earnings for 2025. Each company reported seeing a boost in revenue of more than 13 percent, both making more than $2 billion. GEO Group's executive chairman George Zoley called 2025 the "most successful year for new business wins in our company's history."

RandySF

The Tennessee House and Senate races potentially in play

(Tennessee Lookout) Tennessee could see 16 competitive state House and Senate races this fall, based on past state elections in similar political environments, according to an analysis by the Lookout of the nonpartisan Dave’s Redistricting election data. Nationally, the Democratic Party is expected to have a strong 2026 midterm election, but the question remains how strong and whether that translates to Tennessee, a state Republicans have dominated for almost two decades.

Dulcinea

Why so many congressional Republicans are retiring

(The Hill) You’d quit, too. More than a decade after President Trump came down the escalator the options for congressional Republicans are painfully clear. Option One: They can quit. Option Two: They can keep silent on alarming polls showing low public approval for Trump and his Republican Party as the midterms approach. Option Three: Accept that there is a price to be paid for Trump-worship.

demmiblue

Spain to Investigate Social Media Giants, Escalating Trans-Atlantic Tech Dispute

(NY Times) Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of Spain said on Tuesday that his government will ask prosecutors to investigate social media giants X, Meta and TikTok for allegedly spreading child sexual abuse material generated by artificial intelligence, the latest salvo in a Europe-wide effort to regulate big tech companies. “These platforms are undermining the mental health, dignity, and rights of our children,” Mr. Sánchez wrote on social media. “The state cannot allow this. The impunity of these giants must end.”

Expand Featured Stories

Issue Forums

Latest Breaking News

Moore's office fires back at Trump after blaming Potomac sewage spill on local Democrats

39 min ago - 02/16/26 11:25 PM ET Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) on Monday said President Trump was at fault for the Potomac waste spill, which now appears to be the largest in U.S. history, following scrutiny from the White House leader. “The President has hi ... (The Hill)

Hegseth forces ouster of senior Army spokesman in latest internal clash

1 hr ago - February 17, 2026 at 9:05 a.m. EST Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has forced the ouster of a senior military adviser to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, defense officials said, marking the Pentagon chief's latest intervention into the service's internal ... (Washington Post)

ADP Employment Change 4-week average rises to 10,250 through January 31

1 hr ago - News ADP Employment Change 4-week average rises to 10,250 through January 31 02/17/2026 13:59:45 GMT | By Ghiles Guezout ADP Employment Change 4-week average rises to 10,250 through January 31 * US private employers added an average of 10,250 jobs pe ... (FXStreet)

LA Mayor Bass calls on LA28 chair Wasserman to resign

1 hr ago - February 16, 2026 10:56 PM EST Updated 2 hours ago MILAN, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Monday said Casey Wasserman should step down as chairman of the committee organising the 2028 Olympic Games following revelations of his inte ... (Reuters)

Portland protesters target Enterprise over ICE contracts, Oregon lawmakers weigh immigration bills

2 hrs ago - 12h PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - About 50 protesters gathered in Oregon Park on Monday afternoon, calling for Enterprise Rent-A-Car to end its contract with the Department of Homeland Security and stop renting vehicles to ICE agents. The Presidents Day dem ... (msn/KPTV Portland, OR)

Iran meets UN nuclear watchdog in Geneva ahead of more US talks

2 hrs ago - Updated 8:12 PM EST, February 16, 2026 GENEVA (AP) — Iran’s top diplomat met with the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency Monday, ahead of a second round of negotiations with the United States over Tehran’s nuclear program. Irania ... (AP)

Spain to Investigate Social Media Giants, Escalating Trans-Atlantic Tech Dispute

2 hrs ago - Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of Spain said on Tuesday that his government will ask prosecutors to investigate social media giants X, Meta and TikTok for allegedly spreading child sexual abuse material generated by artificial intelligence, the ... (NYT)

Netflix grants Warner Bros. Discovery 7-day waiver to reopen deal talks with Paramount Skydance

2 hrs ago - Published Tue, Feb 17 2026 7:03 AM EST Updated 17 Min Ago Warner Bros. Discovery on Tuesday said it will reopen deal talks with Paramount Skydance under a seven-day waiver from Netflix to explore “deficiencies” in Paramount’s offer to ... (CNBC)

Colbert Says CBS Refused To Air His Interview With Democrat Candidate Fearing FCC Blowback

3 hrs ago - Late Show host Stephen Colbert on Monday said CBS refused to air his interview with James Talarico, the Democratic Senate candidate from Texas, due to the Federal Communications Commission's recent decision to enforce its "equal time" mandate on talk ... (Forbes)

ICE contracts fuel revenue surge for owners of for-profit immigration detention centers

3 hrs ago - Posted 7:43 PM, Feb 16, 2026 The first year of President Trump's push to arrest and deport undocumented immigrants was a financial boon for two companies that own and operate private detention centers. CoreCivic and The GEO Group both reported their ... (Scripps News)

More than 70,000 voters will stay on North Carolina voter rolls after settlement

4 hrs ago - Feb. 16, 2026, 7:38 PM EST More than 73,000 North Carolinians will be given more time to show identifying documentation to election officials to remain on the state's voter rolls following a settlement between the national parties and the state's ele ... (NBC News)

Trump rages against Gateway tunnel project, threatening to withhold federal assistance

4 hrs ago - 02/16/2026 03:06 PM EST Updated: 02/16/2026 06:25 PM EST President Donald Trump doubled down Monday on his opposition to the Gateway tunnel project aimed at connecting New York and New Jersey. Trump has repeatedly stood in the way of the multibillio ... (Politico)

Trump-supporting mayor faces deportation threat for illegally voting: 'Yeah, I did it'

5 hrs ago - February 16, 2026 6:16PM ET A small town mayor who voted for President Donald Trump in the last three elections is facing deportation after being accused of committing a felony, a new report revealed. Joe Ceballos, who was recently elected mayor of C ... (Raw Story)

Rev. Jesse Jackson, civil rights icon and two-time presidential candidate, dies at 84

5 hrs ago - Feb. 17, 2026, 4:30 AM EST / Updated Feb. 17, 2026, 4:52 AM EST The Rev. Jesse Jackson, the longtime civil rights activist, Baptist minister and two-time presidential candidate, died Tuesday, his family said. He was 84. "Our father was a servant lea ... (NBC News)

Tom Pritzker Resigns As Hyatt Chairman Amid Epstein Connection Fallout

5 hrs ago - Feb 16th, 2026, 5:06 pm Thomas Pritzker, the billionaire Hyatt Hotels heir and cousin of JB Pritzker, resigned Monday as executive chairman of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation amid the ongoing fallout surrounding his inclusion in the so-called Epstein F ... (MEDIAite)

New Mexico approves comprehensive probe of Epstein's Zorro Ranch

6 hrs ago - SANTA FE, Feb 16 (Reuters) - New Mexico lawmakers on Monday passed legislation to launch what they said was the first full investigation into what happened at Zorro Ranch, where the late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is accused of trafficking and ... (Reuters)

Federal judge orders ICE to release Filipino man after 'pattern of failures' in medical care

6 hrs ago - Updated on February 16, 2026 at 4:44 pm A federal judge on Friday ordered the release of a Filipino man from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Tacoma, Washington, noting a "pattern of failures" in his medical care that "mor ... (WNBC-TV New York, NY)

More Third-Country Nationals Have Been Deported by the US to Cameroon, Lawyers Tell AP

7 hrs ago - Feb. 16, 2026, at 3:57 p.m. YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) — A new group of third-country nationals was deported by the United States to Cameroon on Monday, lawyers told The Associated Press, days after it came to light that the Trump administration se ... (US News & World Report/AP)

Trump says US government to step in to protect Potomac River after sewage leak

7 hrs ago - February 16, 2026 3:18 PM EST Updated 7 hours ago WASHINGTON, Feb 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday the federal government will step in to protect the Potomac River following the collapse of a major sewer pipe in the Washingto ... (Reuters)

Beech Grove [Indiana] police officer killed, another injured in shooting; suspect in custody

10 hrs ago - Home / News / Crime Watch 8 Beech Grove police officer killed, another injured in shooting; suspect in custody by: Gregg Montgomery Posted: Feb 16, 2026 / 06:18 PM EST / Updated: Feb 17, 2026 / 12:01 AM EST BEECH GROVE, Ind. (WISH) -- A 33-year-old B ... (WISH, channel 8)