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https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-open-nuclear-deal-compromises-if-us-discusses-lifting-sanctions-minister-2026-02-15/
Feb 15 (Reuters) - Iran is pursuing a nuclear agreement with the U.S. that delivers economic benefits for both sides, an Iranian diplomat was reported as saying on Sunday, days before a second round of talks between Tehran and Washington.
Iran and the U.S. renewed negotiations earlier this month to tackle their decades-long dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme and avert a new military confrontation. The U.S. has dispatched a second aircraft carrier to the region and is preparing for the possibility of a sustained military campaign if the talks do not succeed, U.S. officials have told Reuters.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking at a news conference in Bratislava, said President Donald Trump had made it clear that he would prefer diplomacy and a negotiated settlement, while making clear that may not happen.
"No one's ever been able to do a successful deal with Iran but we're going to try," Rubio said.
Iran has threatened to strike U.S. bases in the Middle East if it is attacked by U.S. forces but on Sunday took a conciliatory line.
"For the sake of an agreement's durability, it is essential that the U.S. also benefits in areas with high and quick economic returns," foreign ministry deputy director for economic diplomacy Hamid Ghanbari said, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
"Common interests in the oil and gas fields, joint fields, mining investments, and even aircraft purchases are included in the negotiations," Ghanbari said, arguing that the 2015 nuclear pact with world powers had not secured U.S. economic interests.
In 2018, Trump withdrew the U.S. from the pact that had eased sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme, and re-applied tough economic sanctions on Tehran.

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https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5739328-noem-voting-midterm-elections/

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem suggested on Friday that her department has a broad role in election security, claiming she has the authority to identify “vulnerabilities” in the election system and implement “mitigation measures” to make sure local and state elections are “run correctly.”

Noem argued during a press conference in Arizona, where she was pushing for passage of a national voter ID law, that elections fell within the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) mission of “maintaining critical infrastructure.”

“I would say that many people believe that it may be one of the most important things that we need to make sure we trust, is reliable, and that when it gets to Election Day, that we’ve been proactive to make sure that we have the right people voting, electing the right leaders to lead this country through the days that we have, knowing that people can trust it,” she said.

A clip of those comments began circulating on social media Saturday morning, drawing swift criticism from Democratic lawmakers and political commentators.

“This is Trump’s idea of democracy: leaders get to select their voters instead of the other way around,” Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wrote on the social platform Twitter.

The House passed the SAVE America Act on Wednesday, a bill that would require Americans to show photo ID when voting in federal elections and proof of U.S. citizenship to register. If enacted, the legislation also mandate that states remove non-citizens from its voter rolls.

Its passage tees up debate in the Senate, where similar legislation has stalled in past years over Democratic opposition. At least one Republican, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), has indicated she does not support the effort.

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Matt Weston and Tabitha Stoecker clinched mixed team skeleton gold.

It came after Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale won the snowboard cross mixed team event earlier on Sunday.

Weston produced a stunning race to make more of his own history in Cortina - he is the first Briton to win two gold medals at a Winter Olympics having claimed individual gold just two days ago.

Stoecker, 25, had given Weston a tough task with her run of 1:00.77, 0.30 seconds off the pace of the Germans, with the British pair - ranked top seeds - the last to run.

"The individual event is amazing but doing it as a team when we're normally an individual sport is amazing," said Weston.

"To have my team-mate by my side as Olympic champions, two-time for me which is crazy. I'm looking forward to the celebrations!"

A second British team, Marcus Wyatt and Freya Tarbit, missed out on a medal by an agonising 0.01secs as the two German teams of Christopher Grotheer and Jacqueline Pfeifer and Axel Jungk and Susanne Kreher took silver and bronze, respectively.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/articles/cm2x7m17jydo

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>>Four astronauts have docked at the International Space Station (ISS) after blasting off from Earth on Friday.

>>The crew will spend eight months aboard the ISS after replacing a team that evacuated last month due to a medical emergency.

>>On board the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft travelling to the ISS were two Nasa astronauts from the US, Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, from France, and Russian Roscocosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.

>>The four are known as Crew-12, because they make up SpaceX's 12th crewed rotational flight to the International Space Station.

https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c1e9z8jw93yo

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https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-homeland-security-democrats-ice-bd2b84b6f38f1c916637b205854a3c83
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Lawmakers and the White House offered no signs of compromise Sunday in their battle over oversight of federal immigration officers that has led to a pause in funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

A partial government shutdown began Saturday after congressional Democrats and President Donald Trump’s team failed to reach a deal on legislation to fund the department through September. Democrats are demanding changes to how immigration operations are conducted after the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal officers in Minneapolis last month.

Congress is on recess until Feb. 23, and both sides appear dug into their positions. The impasse affects agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Coast Guard, the Secret Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The work at ICE and CBP goes on unabated because Trump’s tax and spending cut law from 2025 provided billions more to those agencies that can be tapped for deportation operations. About 90% of DHS employees were to continue working during the shutdown, but do so without pay — and missed paychecks could mean financial hardships. Last year there was a record 43-day government shutdown.

White House border czar Tom Homan said the administration was unwilling to agree to Democrats’ demands that federal officers clearly identify themselves, remove masks during operations and display unique ID numbers.

“I don’t like the masks, either,” Homan said, But, he said, “These men and women have to protect themselves.”

Democrats also want to require immigration agents to wear body cameras and mandate judicial warrants for arrests on private property.

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https://apnews.com/article/dhs-shutdown-tsa-travel-airports-delays-ff8b225c6ff8d57172fd301a550057b3

A shutdown of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that took effect early Saturday impacts the agency responsible for screening passengers and bags at airports across the country. Travelers with airline reservations may be nervously recalling a 43-day government shutdown that led to historic flight cancellations and long delays last year.

Transportation Security Administration officers are expected to work without pay while lawmakers remain without an agreement on DHS’ annual funding. TSA officers also worked through the record shutdown that ended Nov. 12, but aviation experts say this one may play out differently.

Trade groups for the U.S. travel industry and major airlines nonetheless warned that the longer DHS appropriations are lapsed, the longer security lines at the nation’s commercial airports could get.

Funding for Homeland Security expired at midnight. But the rest of the federal government is funded through Sept. 30. That means air traffic controllers employed by the Federal Aviation Administration will receive paychecks as usual, reducing the risk of widespread flight cancellations.

According to the department’s contingency plan, about 95% of TSA workers are deemed essential personnel and required to keep working. Democrats in the House and Senate say DHS won’t get funded until new restrictions are placed on federal immigration operations.

During past shutdowns, disruptions to air travel tended to build over time, not overnight. About a month into last year’s shutdown, for example, TSA temporarily closed two checkpoints at Philadelphia International Airport. That same day, the government took the extraordinary step of ordering all commercial airlines to reduce their domestic flight schedules.

John Clark, arriving at Detroit Metropolitan Airport from a business trip in Mississippi, said he was impacted by that earlier shutdown and is worried.

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Federal charges have been dropped against two men who had been charged with assaulting Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Minneapolis last month, including one Venezuelan defendant who was shot in the leg by an officer. The Justice Department's motion cited "newly discovered evidence" that was "materially inconsistent" with the allegations against them.

The filing, entered Thursday by U.S. Attorney in Minnesota Daniel Rosen, moved to dismiss the charges against the men with prejudice, meaning the charges cannot be reintroduced. On Friday, a judge granted the request.

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said Friday that two officers have been placed on administrative leave after a review of video evidence indicated they provided "untruthful statements" in their sworn testimony.

"Upon conclusion of the investigation, the officers may face termination of employment, as well as potential criminal prosecution," Lyons said.

In January, the two men, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, were charged in a federal criminal complaint with forcibly assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers in performance of their official duties. The charges came after Sosa-Celis was shot by an ICE officer, which drew nationwide attention amid the federal immigration surge in Minnesota.

From early on, the government's account of the alleged assault was not consistent.


>https://www.cbsnews.com/news/doj-drops-charges-assaulting-ice-officers-inconsistent-evidence/

https://www.rawstory.com/amp/thomas-massie-2675268698-2675268698

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) posted a startling message on social media Friday declaring, “I am not suicidal,” following a heated public clash with conservative media figures over House voting procedures.

Massie's comment came after a lengthy thread in which he criticized what he called “the swamp” and accused conservative commentators, including Laura Ingraham, of misleading the public about a House procedural vote related to the SAVE Act.

“Can you, the people, ‘vote your way out of this?’ Honestly, not if you get your news from these folks,” Massie wrote, claiming that even members of Congress are deceived by conservative media.

The thread escalated when he issued a follow-up post that appeared to reference his personal safety.

“I am not suicidal,” he wrote Friday. “I eat healthy food. The brakes on my car and truck are in good shape. I practice good trigger discipline and never point a gun at anyone, including myself. There are no deep pools of water on my farm and I’m a pretty good swimmer.”

Massie has recently drawn attention for bucking GOP leadership and for pushing the Justice Department to unredact Epstein-related files.

I am not suicidal. I eat healthy food. The brakes on my car and truck are in good shape. I practice good trigger discipline and never point a gun at anyone, including myself. There are no deep pools of water on my farm and I’m a pretty good swimmer.

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https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-says-he-will-require-voter-id-midterms-regardless-congress-2026-02-13/
WASHINGTON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would seek to impose voter identification requirements for the November midterm elections whether Congress approves them or not, without explaining the legal rationale underlying his assertion.
Trump added that he plans to issue an executive order on the matter, without providing details. The Republican president is backing a House-passed bill that would require proof of citizenship to vote in U.S. elections, which is not expected to advance in the Senate.
The bill is the latest version of election legislation that first emerged during the 2024 presidential campaign, driven by Trump's false claims that his 2020 election defeat was caused by large-scale voter fraud. A similar measure passed the House twice - last April and in 2024 - only to die in the Senate.
"I have searched the depths of Legal Arguments not yet articulated or vetted on this subject, and will be presenting an irrefutable one in the very near future!," Trump said on Truth Social.
Under the U.S. Constitution, state governments oversee elections, not the federal government, and most contests are administered by county and local officials.
Trump's Republicans hold narrow majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate. Incumbent presidents' parties typically lose seats in Congress in midterm elections.

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Sweethearts, the candy hearts with messages company, is leaning into recession indicator memes with its 2026 batch. Phrases like “split rent” and “buy in bulk” feature on many of the hearts this year in another sign that the economy is bad, regardless of what the White House might claim.

Every year, Sweethearts, owned by the Sprangler Candy Company, releases a new batch of edible hearts for Valentine’s Day—some with new messages meant to reflect the times. The vibe in 2026 is, apparently, poverty.

This is a recession indicator if there ever was one.

“Sweethearts has always evolved with the times by staying aware of current dating trends and relationships—and being practical is having a moment,” said Sprangler’s Vice President of Marketing Evan Brock in a press release.

“That’s why some of the messages on our Sweethearts candies aren’t just about finding love the old-fashioned way this year.”

The new hearts feature phrases like “share logn,” “car pool,” and “cook for 2” in addition to classics like “I luv you.” One even says “joint taxes,” referring to tax benefits enjoyed by married couples.

It doesn’t exactly warm the heart as much as “my hero” or “ur cute,” but Sweethearts isn’t wrong about 2026 dating trends. According to Consumer Affairs, 78 percent of Gen Z rated financial responsibility as an important factor in choosing a romantic partner.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/recession-indicator-2026-economy-bad-123000355.html

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Are there any Americans left who even like Trump?

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-polls-2675266227/

MS NOW’s Joe Scarborough was taken aback Friday after new polling revealed that President Donald Trump had suffered a staggering 51-point swing in net approval among young voters in just a year’s time, something the “Morning Joe” host said he hadn’t seen in his entire career covering politics.

“I've never, in 32, 33 years following this very closely on the Hill, I have never seen 50-point swings,” Scarborough said. “Here we have a 51-point swing on the economy, a 51-point swing among [young] voters, and that's in the past year!”

According to a new YouGov/Economist poll, Trump’s approval among young voters – those between 18 and 29 years old – has cratered since he took office last year, dropping by 51 points to -42 net negative approval.

Trump’s approval on the economy has also cratered, dropping by 26 points among all voters when compared to the same point during his first presidency, and by a whopping 53 points among independents, a key voter bloc that helped hand Trump the presidency in 2024.

Scarborough called the abysmal polling “self-inflicted,” and cast blame directly on the Trump administration for its policies, particularly its push to construct immigration detention centers across the nation.

“They're not detention centers, they're internment camps! And they're building these internment camps all over the United States,” Scarborough said.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has selected his daughter as his heir, South Korea's spy agency told lawmakers on Thursday.

Kim Ju Ae - who is believed to be 13 - has in recent months been pictured beside her father in high-profile events like a visit to Beijing in September, her first known trip abroad.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) said it took a "range of circumstances" into account including her increasingly prominent public presence at official events" in making this assessment.

The NIS also said it would keep close tabs on whether she will attend the North's party congress later this month - its largest political event that is held once every five years.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0e1g7kwglo

I am looking for a video clip of Jon Stewart’s funny segment where he pokes fun at PizzaGate from some years ago. I clearly remember him going on a rant about it but I can’t seem to find any trace of it. I’ve tried YouTube, Facebook, instagram, and TikTok but no luck. I found Stephen Colbert’s funny takedown of PizzaGate back in 2016 but I still distinctly remember Jon Stewart doing one as well around the same time. Does anyone have a link to the funny segment I’m talking about? Does anyone else remember seeing the same clip like me or am I not remembering correctly?

https://forward.com/schmooze/356073/jon-stewart-has-one-simple-tip-for-ending-fake-news/

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Recently there has been a school shooting in Canada, BC, Tumbler Ridge Secondary school and the shooter was identified yesterday, I dont know if this thread has been already made.

https://www.winnipegsun.com/national-news/mass-killing-in-tumbler-ridge-school-leaves-six-dead/article_61ba49bb-afc2-4616-95c8-87f9e59963bc.html

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“ Faced with what the authorities say is an immediate shortage of at least 2.3 million workers, a shortfall exacerbated by the strain of Russia's war in Ukraine and one that Russia's traditional source of foreign labour - Central Asians - is not able to fill, Moscow is turning to a new supplier: India.”

https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/russia-facing-labour-crunch-worsened-by-war-pivots-india-workers-2026-02-11/