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With House GOP Majority Teetering on the Brink, Florida Congressman Plans to Retire Early

(Mediaite) Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL) is planning to announce an early retirement next week, according to Florida Politics publisher Peter Schorsch — an exit that would drag the House Republican majority out the door with him. Dunn, 72, announced last month that he had decided “[a]fter much prayerful consideration and discussion with my family” to not seek re-election. Currently, Republicans have the majority in the House by a very narrow margin, 218 to 214, and three seats vacant, meaning any time Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is facing a party-line vote, he can only afford to lose a single Republican member’s support.

BumRushDaShow

Red state elections chief smacks down Trump DOJ's demand to hand over voter rolls

(Raw Story) President Donald Trump's Justice Department demands that states hand over their unredacted voting rolls got a firm rebuke from an unlikely source this week: the West Virginia Secretary of State. West Virginia is one of the most Trump-supportive states in the entire country, voting for the president by blowout margins three times in a row. But according to the liberal voting rights group Democracy Docket, GOP Secretary Kris Warner believes the DOJ's demand is illegal, and an assault on federalism. “State law is clear: voter lists are available in a redacted format from my office, but I’ll not be turning over any West Virginian’s protected information,” said Warner in a prepared statement.

BumRushDaShow

'Very chilling': GOP senators slam Trump admin's bungled indictment attempt against Dems

(Raw Story) With President Donald Trump's Justice Department trying, and failing, to secure a criminal indictment against Sens. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) for their roles in a video advising active-duty troops they must refuse illegal orders, Senate Republicans are coming out of the woodwork to condemn the administration having even attempted this in the first place, NOTUS reported on Wednesday evening.

BumRushDaShow

Trump allows Democratic governors at White House meeting after initial snub

(Washington Post) President Donald Trump has backed down from his decision to exclude Democratic governors from an annual White House meeting that has long been bipartisan, according to the National Governors Association. For decades, the White House meeting between the president and governors — held around the NGA’s annual winter gathering in Washington — has included Republican and Democratic governors. That nearly changed last week when Trump did not extend an invitation to Democrats, sparking concern among governors.

babylonsister

Trump Is Losing Low Information Voters

(Political Wire) G. Elliot Morris: “In 2024, the voters who knew the least about politics were some of Donald Trump’s strongest supporters. One pre-election poll found Americans who didn’t consume any news at all said they’d vote for him over Kamala Harris by a 20-point margin, 60% to 40%. Today, the president’s support among low-knowledge voters has cratered to just 43%, according to a new analysis of data from our January Strength In Numbers/Verasight poll. The share of 2024 voters who now disapprove of the president is well over 55%.”

KS Toronado

Thursday's Condensed News Cartoons

groundloop

Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal accuses DOJ of 'spying' on her search history from unredacted Epstein files review

(ABC News) House Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal accused Attorney General Pam Bondi of "spying" on her search history when the congresswoman visited the Department of Justice earlier this week to view unredacted Jeffrey Epstein files. "It is totally inappropriate and against the separations of powers for the DOJ to surveil us as we search the Epstein files," Jayapal said in a post on X. "Bondi showed up today with a burn book that held a printed search history of exactly what emails I searched. That is outrageous and I intend to pursue this and stop this spying on members."

BlueWaveNeverEnd

House Republicans call to investigate Bad Bunny Super Bowl show over 'widespread twerking, grinding, pelvic thrusts'

(Entertainment Weekly) Rep. Mark Alford said the fallout "could be much worse than the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction." Two days out, Bad Bunny's epic Super Bowl halftime show, which featured cameos from stars such as Lady Gaga, Pedro Pascal, and Ricky Martin, is still getting a lot of attention, especially from Republican lawmakers. They were not entertained. By Monday, one of the detractors, Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), asked officials to look into the performance, which he called "pure smut" that he claimed was "illegal to be displayed on public airways."

Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

JD Vance says Olympians 'not there to pop off about politics'

(USA Today) Vice President JD Vance warned United States Olympic athletes to expect "pushback" if they delve into politics, defending President Donald Trump's criticism of freestyle halfpipe skier Hunter Hess. "You're not there to pop off about politics," Vance told reporters Feb. 11 while traveling back from an overseas trip where he led the U.S. delegation to the 2026 Winter Olympics. "So when Olympic athletes enter the political arena, they should expect some pushback."

BumRushDaShow

Oil giant tells Trump it's 'too expensive' to reinvest in Venezuela despite president's urging

(The Independent) The CEO of a major oil company has said that it is “too expensive and too polluting” to return operations to Venezuela, despite the urging of Donald Trump. TotalEnergies boss Patrick Pouyanne said the company had pulled out of the South American country “because it clashed with our strategy. It was too expensive and too polluting and that is still the case.”

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Judge makes Trump admin pay for 'defiance' with airfare to US for 'third country' deportees who 'desire' return

22 min ago - Feb 12th, 2026, 2:23 pm A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has ordered the Trump administration to "facilitate the return from third countries" of Alien Enemies Act deportees who "desire" to come back to the United States as habeas cases proceed, ... (Law & Crime)

In blunt warning, the U.S. says Peru could lose its sovereignty to China

1 hr ago - Updated February 12, 2026 5:10 AM ET LIMA, Peru (AP) — The Trump administration on Wednesday expressed concern that China was costing Peru its sovereignty in solidifying control over the South American nation's critical infrastructure, a blunt w ... (NPR/AP)

Search for Nancy Guthrie now seeks nearby security videos from the month before she vanished

1 hr ago - By TY ONEIL Updated 2:03 PM CST, February 12, 2026 Leer en español TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Investigators in Arizona want residents near Nancy Guthrie ‘s home to share surveillance camera footage of suspicious cars or people they may ha ... (AP)

Democrats Block DHS Funding Ahead Of Partial Government Shutdown

1 hr ago - Feb 12, 2026, 02:03 PM EST | Updated 2 minutes ago WASHINGTON ― Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked legislation funding for the Department of Homeland Security, holding firm in their demands for reforms to the conduct of federal immigration ag ... (Huff Post)

More than 50 conservative leaders sign letter against Trump drug pricing policy codification

2 hrs ago - 02/12/26 7:08 AM ET A coalition of more than 50 leaders of conservative and free-market organizations signed a letter to members of Congress on Thursday, opposing codifying President Trump’s “most favored nation” (MFN) drug pricing pol ... (The Hill)

Judge says Pete Hegseth is unlawfully retaliating against Sen. Mark Kelly over 'illegal orders' video

4 hrs ago - A federal judge on Thursday shut down Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's attempts to punish Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly over his urging of US service members to refuse illegal orders, ruling that the Pentagon chief's actions were unconstitutionally reta ... (CNN)

Kennedy Center head warns of 'skeletal' staff during two-year renovation

4 hrs ago - Feb. 12, 2026, 7:51 AM EST / Updated Feb. 12, 2026, 8:03 AM EST As the Trump administration prepares to close the Kennedy Center for a two-year renovation, the head of Washington’s performing arts center has warned its staff about impending cuts ... (NBC News/AP)

Norway's former PM charged with gross corruption over Epstein links

4 hrs ago - Former Norwegian Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland has been charged with "gross corruption" over his ties with the US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, police have said. The charge was brought after the Council of Europe lifted Jagland's immunity, ... (BBC)

Trial date set for Trump's legal case against BBC

5 hrs ago - 2 hours ago US President Donald Trump's multi-billion dollar lawsuit against the BBC has been scheduled to go to trial in February 2027, according to court documents. The trial date comes as a Florida judge rejected the BBC's application to delay the ... (BBC)

Israeli Soldiers Accused of Using Polymarket to Bet on Strikes

5 hrs ago - Shin Bet, the country’s internal security agency, said Thursday the suspects used information they had come across during their military service to inform their bets. One of the reservists and a civilian were indicted on a charge of committing s ... (WSJ)

NY Giants Owner's Relationship with Epstein Was 'Singularly Focused' on Women: Report

6 hrs ago - Feb 12th, 2026, 10:28 am A Thursday report from The Athletic detailed how Jeffrey Epstein’s relationship with the owner of the New York Giants was solely about connecting the owner with women in Epstein’s orbit. The latest dump of Epstein f ... (MEDIAite)

Trump directs Pentagon to purchase coal-fired electricity

6 hrs ago - President Donald Trump has directed the Pentagon to purchase coal-fired electricity to boost domestic coal production, a move that has drawn staunch criticism from energy and environmental experts. Trump issued the directive via an executive order th ... (UPI)

US border czar says immigration crackdown in Minnesota will 'conclude'

7 hrs ago - Thu 12 Feb 2026 09.57 EST First published on Thu 12 Feb 2026 09.37 The Trump administration has claimed it is drawing down its immigration crackdown in Minnesota that led to the death of two US citizens, mass detentions and widespread protests. The ... (The Guardian)

Trump receives shiny trophy as he's named 'Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal' by mining executives at White

7 hrs ago - Mike Bedigan Wed, February 11, 2026 at 10:36 PM CST President Donald Trump was named “Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal” and received a trophy featuring a bronze statue of a coal miner. President Donald Trump has added anot ... (yahoo.com)

Suspect in Canada shooting is identified as an 18-year-old with history of police visits to her home

7 hrs ago - By JIM MORRIS and ROB GILLIES Updated 6:27 AM CST, February 12, 2026 Leer en español VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The suspect in a school shooting in Canada was an 18-year-old who had a history of police visits to her home to check ... (AP)

Trump administration working to expand effort to strip citizenship from foreign-born Americans

7 hrs ago - Feb. 12, 2026, 5:00 AM EST Over the past several months, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency within the Department of Homeland Security that’s responsible for legal immigration, has been sending experts to its offices around th ... (NBC. News)

Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal accuses DOJ of 'spying' on her search history from unredacted Epstein files review

7 hrs ago - House Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal accused Attorney General Pam Bondi of "spying" on her search history when the congresswoman visited the Department of Justice earlier this week to view unredacted Jeffrey Epstein files. "It is totally inappropria ... (ABC News)

Jan. 6 rioter pardoned by Trump is convicted of child molestation

8 hrs ago - Andrew Johnson tried to bribe a child victim with the promise of a Jan. 6-related payout, prosecutors say. Trump has discussed the possibility of compensating rioters, but no one has received any payments. Feb. 11, 2026, 6:55 PM CST By Ryan J. Reilly ... (nbc news)

Judge Stops Trump Sending Ex-Death Row Inmates to 'Alcatraz of the Rockies'

8 hrs ago - PUBLISHED FEB 12, 2026 AT 02:26 AM EST UPDATED FEB 12, 2026 AT 05:39 AM EST A federal judge on Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from transferring former death row inmates to a notorious federal supermax prison in Colorad ... (Newsweek)

Democrats defend the 'actual existence' of Department of Ed

8 hrs ago - By: Shauneen Miranda - February 11, 2026 11:16 pm WASHINGTON — U.S. House Democrats on Wednesday rebuked ongoing efforts from President Donald Trump’s administration to dismantle the Department of Education, including moves to shift some of ... (Nebraska Examiner)