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February 17, 2026
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.
Go to discussionRev. 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.”
Go to discussionColbert 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.”
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.
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.
Go to discussionICE 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."
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.
Go to discussionWhy 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.
Go to discussionSpain 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.”
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