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Tag: Politics

  • Ethics committee finds probable cause to investigate if Colorado House member broke rules

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    Colorado state Rep. Ron Weinberg will face more scrutiny for allegations of unethical behavior following a vote of his peers Wednesday morning.

    The House Ethics Committee found probable cause to further investigate two out of six allegations filed against Weinberg, a Loveland Republican, by fellow GOP Rep. Brandi Bradley. One surviving claim involves allegations that he copied or otherwise misused a master key that could access any of the offices of his fellow legislators and that he used the key to enter at least one member’s space.

    The other still-active claim by Bradley alleges that Weinberg made sexually suggestive and inappropriate comments to her and others on multiple occasions.

    Weinberg originally faced seven claims, but two of them were combined. The committee, made up of three Democrats and two Republicans, voted unanimously on all counts either to continue with or dismiss them.

    Rep. Javier Mabrey, a Denver Democrat, said it was the pattern of alleged behavior, more than evidence around individual accusations, that warranted further discussion.

    “There’s a pattern and practice of behavior here that suggests maybe some form of sexual harassment that crosses the line has happened,” Mabrey said.

    That logic followed for accusations that Weinberg may have misused a master key to access areas of the building he normally wouldn’t be able to. Rep. Matt Soper, a Delta Republican, noted that legislative leaders had their offices rekeyed following the allegation — proof that suspicion was at least widespread enough to warrant further examination.

    “They took action that they otherwise would not have taken,” Soper said. “And you don’t take action like that if you honestly don’t believe someone had ever had a key or had access to a key.”

    Claims that Weinberg carried a gun in the Capitol and while drunk, both potentially crimes, were found to be unsubstantiated and dropped by the Ethics Committee. Claims that Weinberg accosted Bradley and was beligerent toward Rep. Stephanie Luck, also a Republican, during a 2025 committee meeting were also unsubstantiated as crossing ethical lines.

    “Nothing this body has decided at this point determines one way or the other whether an ethics violation has occurred,” Rep. Steven Woodrow, a Denver Democrat, said. “It has simply found probable cause to proceed forward on those two points, and that’s all anyone should take away from this.”

    Weinberg did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday morning.

    He can request an evidentiary hearing to further investigate the claims against him, which would kick off more proceedings to determine if he breached ethical guidelines. If he does not make that request, the Ethics Committee will recommend to the House which actions, if any, it should consider taking against him, potentially including a reprimand, censure or removal.

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    Nick Coltrain

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  • 8 takeaways from Trump’s State of the Union address

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    WASHINGTON — In his first State of the Union address of his second term, President Donald Trump on Tuesday night declared that “our nation is back — bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before.” He also proclaimed that the state of the nation is “strong.”

    Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress — at 108 minutes, a new record long for a State of the Union — touched on a wide range of topics, including the economy, immigration, foreign affairs and the country’s upcoming 250th anniversary. At times, he lashed out at congressional Democrats for not applauding his policies, while Republicans cheered on the president at every turn.

    Here are eight takeaways from the address. For an in-depth recap, visit Spectrum News’ live blog.

    Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., reacts as President Donald Trump gives his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

    Trump defends immigration crackdown, clashes with Dems in attendance

    The president took several opportunities to highlight what his administration has done to reduce illegal immigration. He contended that “zero illegal aliens have been admitted to the United States” over the past nine months through the border.  

    Trump later asked attendees to stand if they believed “the first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens” and condemned Democrats for not showing their approval for the statement.  

    “You should be ashamed of yourselves for not standing up,” Trump said. “That is why I’m also asking you to end deadly sanctuary cities that protect the criminals and enact serious penalties for public officials who block the removal of criminal aliens — in many cases, drug lords, murderers all over our country.” 

    Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., was at one point shown pointing her finger back at Trump and appearing to say, “You should be ashamed” in response.  

    Trump blames Democrats for affordability concerns

    After blaming former President Joe Biden for inflation, Trump put the onus on Democrats for affordability concerns.

    “You caused that problem,” Trump said to Democrats, prompting Republican lawmakers to stand and applaud. 

     He called Democratic-led criticism about affordability a “dirty, rotten lie.” 

    The president touted his economic record over the last year. He said inflation has fallen to its lowest level in more than five years, dropping to 1.7% in the last quarter of 2025. He also said gas prices had fallen to below $2 per gallon in some parts of the country. 

     He took credit for declining mortgage rates and a rising stock market.  

    Trump calls Supreme Court tariff decision ‘very unfortunate,’ pledges to use alternatives to impose import duties

    Trump took a measured tone when talking about the Supreme Court ruling issued Friday that invalidated his use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose sweeping tariffs on most U.S. trading partners around the globe. 

     “Just four days ago, an unfortunate ruling from the United States Supreme Court. It just came down, very unfortunate ruling,” Trump said.  

    The language was strikingly different from how he described the decision, as well as the justices whom he had appointed and who ruled against his tariffs, in a news conference on the day the decision was announced. 

    Four justices were in attendance at the State of the Union: Chief Justice John Roberts, who authored Friday’s opinion, and Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett. Roberts and Barrett – along with Justice Neil Gorsuch – sided with liberal justices in ruling against Trump’s usage of IEEPA to levy the import duties.  

    Trump has said he plans to impose a 15% global tariff on top of existing import duties, and on Tuesday he contended that “congressional action will not be necessary.” One of the statutes that the Trump administration has said would be used to impose tariffs puts a 150-day cap on their implementation “unless extended by an Act of the Congress.” 

    President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

    President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

    Trump said tech companies will have to ‘provide for their own power needs’

    The president said his administration planned to address concerns over the amount of power used by data centers with a “unique strategy” to make tech companies construct their own electricity infrastructure.  

    “We’re telling the major tech companies that they have the obligation to provide for their own power needs,” he said. “They can build their own power plants as part of their factory so that no one’s prices will go up, and in many cases, prices of electricity will go down for the community.”  

    The president noted that many Americans have been growing increasingly concerned about the power demands of companies involved in artificial intelligence.  

    Trump did not provide details about the logistics of the plan other than calling it a “new rate payer protection pledge.” 

    Trump says Iran has yet to say they will never have a nuclear weapon

    On Iran, Trump noted that his administration is currently in negotiations with the country’s leadership but said they have yet to say “those secret words” that they “will never have a nuclear weapon.” 

    Trump went on to say that his “preference” is to solve the situation with Iran through diplomacy but suggested other options are on the table if that doesn’t work. 

    “But one thing is certain: I will never allow the world’s No. 1 sponsor of terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “Can’t let that happen.” 

    Trump has been urging Iran to make a nuclear deal with the U.S. and officials from both sides have been involved in talks in Geneva. The president responded to a reporter’s questions at an unrelated event last week by confirming that limited strikes against Iran were an option and has been sending U.S. resources to the area.  

    Trump’s comments on Iran came as he was talking about his efforts to end wars and usher in peace around the world. He started by touting his administration’s strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites this past summer. 

    Trump blames Democrats for partial shutdown of Department of Homeland Security

    As Democrats and Republicans continue to wrangle over immigration enforcement reform to restore funding to the Department of Homeland Security, Trump blamed Democrats for the partial government shutdown, which was in its 11th day. 

    “They have closed the agency responsible for protecting Americans from terrorists and murderers,” Trump said.  

    He demanded the “full and immediate restoration of all funding” for DHS, which oversees the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and “for helping people clean up their snow. We have no money because of the Democrats.” 

    The Northeast has been hit with blizzard conditions in recent days. FEMA helps reimburse local governments for snow removal costs during designated periods of record snowfall. 

    Shortly before the speech Tuesday, legislation to fund the department failed to advance in the Senate yet again as every Democrat present except Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted against it. There has been little sign of movement toward an agreement to reopen DHS since it shut down 10 days ago.

    Trump again expresses voter fraud claims, calls for new requirements

    The president used his address to reiterate his long-held and frequently mentioned qualms with elections in America while pressing lawmakers to pass a Republican bill seeking to implement new proof of citizenship and photo identification requirements to vote.  

    Without citing evidence, Trump claimed that “cheating is rampant” in U.S. elections before going on to call for all voters to show a photo ID and proof of citizenship to vote and an end to most voting by mail.  

    “Why would anybody not want voter ID? One reason: because they want to cheat,” Trump claimed, again without citing evidence.  

    He asserted such a prospect was widely popular, which comes as the White House has been sharing polling on the voter ID issue. 

    Republicans and Trump have been pushing a bill called the SAVE America Act that would require a person to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote and “present an eligible photo identification document before voting.” It passed the House but faces a more difficult path in the Senate, where it would need some Democratic support to overcome the chamber’s filibuster rule.  

    Trump has long claimed there was fraud in the 2020 election despite audits, courts and the president’s former attorney general not finding evidence of widespread fraud. 

    President invokes America 250 to begin, conclude remarks

    In closing out his State of the Union, Trump returned to the theme that he focused on at the start of his remarks: the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary.  

    “Less than five months from now, our country will celebrate an epic milestone in American history,” Trump said during the first few minutes of his speech.  

    The U.S. has planned a number of events this year to mark the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. 

    “The revolution that began in 1776 has not ended,” Trump said in concluding his remarks. “It still continues because the flame of liberty and independence still burns in the heart of every American patriot, and our future will be bigger, better, brighter, bolder and more glorious than ever before.”

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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    Christina Santucci, Susan Carpenter, Maddie Gannon

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  • Crowded Republican field lines up to take on Democrat Don Davis

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    It’s a small group at the Nashville Exchange in Nash County on a Monday night, a little more than two weeks before the North Carolina primary election. But each person here is a dedicated Republican and an almost certain voter.

    What You Need To Know

    • Five Republicans are running in North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District primary

    • The district was recently redrawn to benefit the Republican Party

    • The winner of the Republican primary will challenge Democratic Rep. Don Davis


    They are hearing from two of the Republicans running in the state’s 1st Congressional District. It’s a race with national attention because the party thinks it can flip the seat red for the first time in more than 140 years.

    Issues in this district include farming, where tobacco is very prevalent, health care, there’s been a number of hospital closures, and poverty. While there’s been a decline in the poverty rate, eastern North Carolina has some of the highest rates in the state.

    There’s a flood of Republicans running in the primary, which is March 3. The number of candidates makes it hard to predict who could win.

    President Donald Trump, an influential voice in Republican primaries, has not endorsed a candidate.

    “He’s really proven over and over to be a kingmaker in Republican politics,” said East Carolina University political science professor Peter Francia. “If he had decided to endorse one of the candidates, then I think we would be able to say with a lot of confidence that that candidate had a really good chance of winning.”

    Related: A closer look at N.C.’s only toss-up congressional House race

    Of the five Republicans running, the candidate who’s probably received the most attention is Laurie Buckhout.

    Democratic Rep. Don Davis is seeking reelection in the 1st Congressional District. (AP File Photo/David Yeazell)

    She ran for the seat in 2024, losing to Democratic Rep. Don Davis by two points. Despite the loss she has name recognition. She’s a retired Army colonel who recently served as acting assistant secretary of war for cyber policy in the Trump administration.

    Asa Buck is the longtime sheriff of Carteret County and is well-known in parts of the district.

    State Sen. Bobby Hanig represents some of this U.S. House district in the General Assembly and runs a pool cleaning and maintenance business in Currituck.

    Eric Rouse is a construction business owner who lives in Kinston and is a Lenoir County commissioner.

    And Ashley-Nicole Russell is a family law attorney with offices throughout the state.

    “The high number of candidates means there’s always the potential that a candidate doesn’t reach 30%, and in that case we have a runoff,” Francia told Spectrum News 1. “But my suspicion is that there will be a candidate who exceeds 30%.”

    Spectrum News 1 spoke with a number of voters at a poll site in Nash County.

    “I’ve met Laurie a couple of different times and I feel like her service to our country and I know that she has worked for Trump and I believe she is dedicated and loyal,” said JoAnn Everette, who said she voted for Buckhout.

    “Reducing it down to the top two would have been Laurie Buckhout and Asa Buck. I consider both of them to be near equals in different categories,” said Jerry Barnes. “The deciding factor for me was based on who stood the best chance in beating Don Davis and I felt that was Asa Buck.”

    The winner of the Republican primary will take on Davis, who’s vying for his third term.

    Davis is arguably one of the most moderate Democrats in the U.S. House and has a record of winning in the district.

    This November could be Davis’ toughest election because Republicans in the state legislature recently redrew the district boundaries to heavily favor their party’s candidate. It was part of the rare move of mid-decade redistricting that a number of states have taken in the country, started by Texas at Trump’s urging.

    “In this new map I think any political expert would tell you that the Republicans have a very good chance of winning the district this time around,” Francia said about the new 1st Congressional District.

    The district is wide, stretching from the Virginia border to the Democratic area of Rocky Mount and now the Republican stronghold of the Outer Banks.

    “In the 40 years that we’ve lived here we’ve been redistricted a lot of times, so it’s just a matter of OK, what’s coming up next,” said Republican voter Cynthia Carpenter.

    With so many candidates in the Republican primary, this race could be close as the GOP smells a chance to flip a blue seat to try to keep control of the U.S. House in November.

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

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    Reuben Jones

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  • Residents Want Local Governments to End Contracts That Let ICE Train on Their Gun Ranges

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    ESCONDIDO, Calif. (AP) — Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers training at a local gun range largely went unnoticed by residents of one Southern California city for more than a decade, until President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and the recent fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by federal agents.

    The arrangement in Escondido, a city of about 150,000 people north of San Diego surrounded by farms and horse ranches, has sparked weeks of demonstrations. Residents are demanding that the city stop allowing ICE agents to train at the local police department range, reflecting growing discontent across the country with the administration’s immigration actions.

    “We don’t want ICE anywhere near Escondido or fraternizing with the police,” said Richard Garner, 71, while rallying against the deal outside the city’s police station.

    A majority of Americans in recent polls have said Trump has “gone too far” in sending federal immigration agents into American cities. Beyond the mass street demonstrations in Minneapolis, people in communities from New York to California are objecting to longstanding contracts between ICE and local governments for services ranging from the use of training facilities to parking spaces. The agency has also angered local communities caught off guard by ICE’s plans to occupy giant warehouses, some that could house as many as 10,000 immigration detainees.

    Amid the debate, funding for the Department of Homeland Security has been put on hold. Democrats are saying they will not help approve more money until new limits are placed on federal immigration operations following the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Good last month in Minneapolis.

    Escondido’s City Council is scheduled to discuss the contract with ICE at a meeting Wednesday.

    Unlike many California cities, Escondido had an especially close alliance with ICE in the past that allowed immigration officers to work at police headquarters and coordinate on vehicle stops. That partnership ended after California passed a law in 2017 limiting such collaboration with immigration officials.

    Protesters in Escondido said they were unaware of the contract allowing ICE to train at the gun range in the city’s hillsides until advocates found the agreement online. They said they fear word of the deal will make immigrants afraid to report crimes to local police, weakening public safety in a city where Latinos make up about half the population.

    Some say they don’t want to give ICE agents a reason to come to their community or lend support to an agency they don’t trust will follow U.S. laws. The concern is high, both among immigrants and U.S. citizens who worry about masked federal immigration agents ′ use of deadly force.

    Police Capt. Erik Witholt said Escondido provides the space under a deal signed by ICE in 2024 and renewed this year, though ICE has been training at the outdoor range off a winding road outside Escondido’s downtown for more than a decade.

    The city will receive $22,500 a year for up to three years under the agreement involving the San Diego branch of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations, which investigates crimes including human trafficking and drug smuggling.

    “We don’t train with them. We don’t train them,” Witholt said, adding 22 agencies use the site and each brings its own range master, targets and ammunition.

    The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, did not comment on the backlash and would not confirm locations where its officers train, citing security concerns.

    But several of those locations have been brought to light as communities demand an end to such agreements.


    Debates in other communities

    In Cottage Grove, Minnesota, 20 miles (32 kilometers) southeast of Minneapolis, Ruth Jones and other residents have been asking the community to end its contract allowing ICE to use its regional training center. But Mayor Myron Bailey said the center was built with state bond funding and is rented out to some 60 law enforcement agencies and other groups, including ICE.

    “Contractually we cannot discriminate against any public agency,” Bailey said in a statement.

    In Islip, New York, community members urged local officials last year to rescind a longstanding contract to use a rifle range for training, but the local government also kept the deal.

    Hartford, Connecticut, has moved to end a contract for ICE employees to use a city-owned parking lot.

    Not everyone in Escondido is opposed to the city’s contract with ICE. Luke Beckwith, 26, said he feels access to the site should be left up to police.

    “I personally don’t care,” Beckwith said. “It’s bringing revenue to the city.”

    Edgar, who is from Mexico and asked that his last name be withheld over deportation fears, said barring ICE from the city’s gun range will not remove the threat for immigrants like himself.

    “If they want to come, they will come,” he said.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Feb. 2026

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    Associated Press

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  • Douglas County adopts law requiring stores to report theft — but drops fines for failing to do so

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    Douglas County commissioners passed a measure Tuesday that requires hundreds of retail stores in unincorporated parts of the county to file a report with law enforcement when thieves rip them off.

    But unlike an initial version of the law that was made public in December, the county will levy no fines on retailers for failing to do so — instead leaving any decision about punishment to a local court.

    The first version of the law called for fines of $50, and all the way up to $1,000, for businesses that failed to report a crime. That caused some unease in the business community that Douglas County was overreaching.

    Commissioner Abe Laydon said during the business meeting Tuesday that the ordinance was not meant to punish retailers but to keep the community safe.

    “This is the most prosperous county in the state of Colorado — we don’t want us to become a target for organized crime,” he said. “When we tolerate organized retail theft, we normalize lawlessness.”

    The latest rendition of the ordinance increased the time — from 24 hours to 96 hours — that businesses will have to report a theft. It also allows a retailer to report a crime via an online form rather than have police called to the scene.

    That was enough to allay concerns from Chris Howes, the president of the Colorado Retail Council. In an attempt to make the measure more palatable to local businesses, he said his organization had some “fruitful discussions” with the county after the law was first unveiled.

    “We don’t feel it punishes retail,” he said. “The focus on retail crime is overall going to be a benefit to us.”

    District Attorney George Brauchler said he wants to get the message across that “we do not tolerate thieves.”

    “If you come here to steal from us, plan on staying,” he said in a statement Tuesday. “Business owners and citizens alike should know that we will continue to protect their property rights.”

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  • CBS News: The State of the Union Address

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    CBS News: The State of the Union Address – CBS News









































    Watch CBS News



    President Trump delivers the 2026 State of the Union to a joint session of Congress.

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  • Trump’s State of the Union: Hockey Champions and Grisly Tales of Bloodshed

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    Around 20 minutes into his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump started shouting. His voice grew distorted as the microphone struggled to contain the decibels.

    “Our country is winning again! In fact, we’re winning so much that we really don’t know what to do about it! People are asking me, ‘Please, please, please, Mr. President, we are winning too much! We can’t take it anymore! We’re not used to winning in our country! Until you came along, we were just always losing, but now we’re winning too much!’ And I say, ‘No, no, no, you’re going to win again! You are going to win big, you’re gonna win bigger than ever!’ And to prove that point, to prove that point, here with us tonight is a group of winners who just made the entire nation proud! The men’s gold medal Olympic hockey team—come on in!”

    The chamber erupted in applause as the semi-toothed heroes who beat Canada in Milan basked in the adulation of the United States Congress. The star-spangled spectacle was a highlight of the night, but it served as camouflage for the toughest selling point of Trump’s address: his argument that the United States has entered a new era of boundless prosperity.

    “Our nation is back. Bigger, better, richer, and stronger than ever before,” Trump started his speech. “This is the golden age of America.” It was a message Trump hammered over and over again on Tuesday night, as if by sheer force of repetition, tautology, histrionics, and perhaps one more repetition, he could convince the American people that we are actually right in the thick of the boom times.

    The sentiment is not tethered to reality. Polls show Americans are deeply unsatisfied with the economy, and many blame Trump’s policies for raising prices and stifling growth. And, as Joe Biden learned the hard way, convincing Americans they are wrong about the economy is not a winning strategy. You can’t fight the cash register. “Rarely does the president sound more out of touch than when he insists inflation is defeated, the economy is uniformly roaring, and everything is hunky-dory from coast to coast,” said Jim Geraghty, a conservative writer for National Review.

    In recent months, as Trump’s advisers urged him to focus on affordability, the president publicly dismissed concerns about the economy as “a hoax” and spent much of the winter baying about invading Greenland or boasting about his demolition of the East Wing to make way for a gilded ballroom. When an NPR reporter ventured out into Trump country to ask about his priorities, he found plenty of critics. “I’m not real fond of what’s going on with him getting us involved in too many countries,” one woman who works in a Pennsylvania diner said. “He needs to start worrying about America first, which he campaigned on.”

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    Aidan McLaughlin

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  • Trump’s State of the Union Was a Bloated Awards Show

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    Photo: Kenny Holston/Getty Images

    When we heard that Donald Trump’s 2026 State of the Union Address would break his own record for the longest-ever presidential speech to Congress, a lot of us figured he’d combine improvised attacks on his enemies with his assigned mission of convincing people he had a plan to deal with pervasive economic discontent. In fact, he mostly appeared to stick to his script. On many topics, he was succinct rather than expansive or weave-y. The speech was very long primarily because of its extraordinary number of gimmicks, theatrics, and props, with multiple medals being awarded right there in the gallery, and the speechifying being regularly interrupted with extra-long standing ovations from the Republicans in the room. For a while, you felt that the veteran TV star at the podium was channeling Oprah, showering awards on the worthiest people in his studio audience.

    The address did not, however, break any significant new ground. He had one surprise, an endorsement of a ban on insider trading by members of Congress, and one relatively novel (already leaked) proposal: a deal with tech companies to absorb utility costs created by their AI data centers. But that was about it.

    The first half-hour of the speech was the familiar “American carnage” litany of bile hurled at Joe Biden’s administration, with the usual lies and exaggerations designed to make Trump’s record look better by making his predecessor’s record look dark and even sinister. Then he moved into his own economic agenda, and visibly lost momentum. There was a tiny flutter of emotion in his voice when he deplored the Supreme Court’s decision blowing up his tariff regime, which he rather childishly dismissed as irrelevant because he had come up with an alternative scheme. But he quickly moved on.

    For a good while, we wondered if we were witnessing the first truly boring Trump speech on record. It was only when he moved on to what might be described as the “culture war” section of the address that he got some of his old verve back. Murderous immigrants, gruesome murders, monstrous transgender surgeries, stuffed ballot boxes, criminals being turned out of jail to do crimes again — it was the 2024 election message all over again. He did not say a single word to address the widespread dismay, extending even to Republicans, about the murderous tactics deployed by ICE and the Border Patrol as part of his mass deportation initiative.

    When he finally transitioned to the obligatory section on world events, Trump lost his mojo again. While many expected a bombshell announcement about an impending military attack on Iran, he mumbled his way through what he’s said a hundred times before about denying that country nuclear weapons. He said almost nothing about the Russia-Ukraine war, and literally did not mention China — allegedly the greatest global challenger to our country — even once.

    Most of all, this was almost certainly the most partisan speech any president has ever delivered to Congress, exceeding even his belligerent message a year ago. Over and over again, he accused Democrats — not just their supposed “radical left” element, but all of them — of conscious, deliberate betrayal of the country, by opening the borders, the prisons, the very gates of hell. He called them “crazy,” too. Knowing that many Democrats had resolved to show “silent defiance” during the address, he pulled off one neat trick: presenting a phony antithesis between the interests of U.S. citizens and “illegal aliens” and demanding they stand up for the country! He expertly prolonged the moment as Republicans hooted and cheered while Democrats sat sullenly. But the fact remains that in a narrowly divided Congress, Trump will need Democrats to get anything done the rest of the year. He detonated that slim possibility instead.

    This probably didn’t win over many swing voters unhappy with the economy, but it surely, like the entire speech, thrilled his base. And since he gave very much the speech scripted for him, we have to conclude that its object was to shore up that base rather than to expand it. Perhaps he and his advisors truly believe the economy is going to go gangbusters later this year, or that Trump’s party will be awarded with continued control of Congress without much of an effort to change anyone’s mind.

    If you tuned into the SOTU address expecting policy innovations or a different Trump tone, you had to be disappointed. It appears he will go into difficult midterm elections standing pat on his record, his message, and his unshakable belief in his own greatness.


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    Ed Kilgore

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  • Army pilot wounded in Maduro raid gets Congressional Medal of Honor during State of the Union

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    WASHINGTON — A helicopter pilot wounded in the raid that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro received the Congressional Medal of Honor during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday evening.

    Trump said Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover, who appeared using a walker, was the pilot of the lead CH-47 Chinook helicopter that descended on the “heavily protected military fortress” that held Maduro during a raid that, while successful, left seven U.S. service members with gunshot wounds and shrapnel-related injuries.

    President Trump honors National Guard members shot in Washington at State of the Union

    “While preparing to land, enemy machine guns fired from every angle, and Eric was hit very badly in the leg and hip, one bullet after another,” Trump said, adding that Slover “absorbed four agonizing shots, shredding his leg into numerous pieces.”

    Months of covert planning led to the brazen operation that plunged the South American country’s capital into darkness as troops infiltrated Maduro’s home and whisked him to the United States to face drug trafficking charges.

    Trump’s description of Slover’s actions that night offer a new, detailed glimpse into the military action that has been largely shrouded in secrecy since it was carried out in the early hours of Jan. 3.

    As Slover prepared to land his helicopter, he was confronted with “two machine gunners who escaped the wrath of the previous planes,” according to Trump.

    “Eric maneuvered his helicopter with all of those lives and souls to face the enemy and let his gunners eliminate the threat,” Trump said, “saving the lives of his fellow warriors from what could have been a catastrophic crash deep in enemy territory.”

    The president said “the success of the entire mission and the lives of his fellow warriors hinged on Eric’s ability to take searing pain.”

    Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, commander of Joint Special Operations Command, presented Slover with the Medal of Honor in the gallery overlooking the House chamber.

    Slover was in his dress uniform and used a walker to steady himself. Trump said the soldier was still recovering from his wounds.

    Trump also said 10 other service members who took part in the operation will be receiving medals at a private ceremony soon to be held at the White House.

    In addition to Slover, Trump also presented the Medal of Honor to retired Capt. E. Royce Williams, a Navy pilot who shot down multiple Soviet jets during the Korean War, upgrading his existing award of a Navy Cross.

    Trump called the 100-year-old former fighter pilot “one of the last living legends.”

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    Konstantin Toropin

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  • Trump awards Purple Hearts to National Guard members ambushed in Washington, DC: ‘We love you all’

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    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    President Donald Trump, during his Tuesday night State of the Union address, awarded the Purple Heart to Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe and deceased Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, two National Guard members who were critically injured and fatally shot by a gunman who ambushed them while on duty last year in Washington, D.C.

    Trump used a portion of his State of the Union address to acknowledge Wolfe and the parents of 20-year-old Beckstrom, who did not survive her injuries.

    “I’m going to ask a highly respected General James Seward to present Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe and the great family of Sarah Beckstrom, with the award created by our late, great president, George Washington himself,” Trump said. “It’s called the Purple Heart. We love you all.”

    As Trump spoke, Major General James “Jim” D. Seward, Adjutant General of the West Virginia National Guard, presented Specialist Beckstrom’s medal to her parents and pinned the Purple Heart on Staff Sergeant Wolfe in the viewing gallery above.

    National Guard Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, who survived a November 2025 shooting attack in Washington, DC, receives a Purple Heart as he is recognized by US President Donald Trump during his State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on February 24, 2026.  (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images)

    “Your daughter was a true American patriot,” Trump told Beckstrom’s parents, “and she will be greatly missed.”

    “She was a great person,” Trump said. “I saw reports on her. They’ve never seen anything like it. So sorry.”

    Addressing Wolfe, Trump said, “The doctors thought that Andrew was gone, but his mother said, ‘No, no, Mr. President, Andrew will be fine. He’s going to make it.’ I’ve never seen anything like it.”

    West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey praised their award in a statement, describing the award as a “solemn and unforgettable moment, one that ensured their courage and sacrifice were honored not only by West Virginia but also before the entire nation.”

    TRUMP TAKES DIRECT SOTU SWIPE AT DEMOCRATS OVER TAXES: ‘TO HURT THE PEOPLE’

    Painting of U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and her casket

    U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was “laid to rest with full military honors during a ceremony and interment on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, at the West Virginia National Cemetery in Grafton, West Virginia,” the National Guard said. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Edwin L. Wriston)

    Beckstrom, 20, and Wolfe, 24, were both shot by a gunman just blocks from the White House last November, in what federal authorities are investigating as a terror attack.

    The alleged shooter is an Afghan refugee who came to the U.S. as part of Operation Allies Welcome during the military’s withdrawal from Kabul in 2021.

    CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

    President Donald Trump walks past Supreme Court justices as he arrives for the State of the Union address.

    President Donald Trump walks past Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, Associate Justice Elena Kagan, Associate Justice Brent Kavanaugh and Associate Justice Mary Coney Barrett as he arrives for the State of the Union address during a Joint Session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on February 24, 2026, in Washington, DC. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

    The House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution honoring the two National Guard members.

    “Spc. Beckstrom and Staff Sgt. Wolfe represent the very best of our nation,” Rep. Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii, said at the time.

    “Young Americans driven by service, compassion, and a sense of duty. Their willingness to step forward to serve their communities and their country reflects the highest ideals of military and public service.”

    Fox News Digital’s Liz Elkind contributed to this report

    Related Article

    Trump says US women's hockey team will 'soon' visit White House after declining SOTU invitation

    Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to AndrewMark.Miller@Fox.com.

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  • Rubio Flies Into the Caribbean for Talks With Leaders Unsettled by Trump Policies

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    Secretary of State Marco Rubio flies into the Caribbean country of St. Kitts and Nevis on Wednesday for talks with regional leaders who, like others around the world, are unsettled and uncertain about Trump administration policies.

    During his State of the Union address Tuesday night, Trump called Maduro’s capture “an absolutely colossal victory for the security of the United States. And it also opens up a bright new beginning for the people of Venezuela.”

    Trump said his administration is “restoring American security and dominance in the Western Hemisphere, acting to secure our national interests and defend our country from violence, drugs, terrorism and foreign interference.”

    Godwin Friday, newly elected prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, echoed the fears of many European leaders when he said the Caribbean is “challenged from inside and out. International rules and practices that we have become used to over the years have changed in troubling ways.”


    Caribbean leaders point to shifting global order

    During Tuesday’s opening ceremony, Terrance Drew, prime minister of St. Kitts and Nevis and CARICOM chair, said the region “stands at a decisive hour.”

    “The global order is shifting,” he said. “Supply chains remain uncertain, energy markets fluctuate and climate shocks intensify.”

    Like other leaders, Drew spoke about changing geopolitics and said the humanitarian situation in Cuba must be addressed and taken seriously, something also stressed by Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness.

    “It must be clear that a prolonged crisis in Cuba will not remain confined to Cuba,” Holness warned. “It will affect migration, security and economic stability across the Caribbean basin.”

    Holness said Jamaica “stands firmly for democracy” and that his country also “supports constructive dialogue between Cuba and the U.S. aimed at de-escalation, reform and stability.”

    Bahamian Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell told The Associated Press on Tuesday ahead of the summit that he doesn’t know if individual topics will come up in talks with Rubio but said he expects a full discussion on the nature of the relationship with the U.S.

    “It is about mutual respect and a rules-based order,” he said. “Those are some of the things we would expect from the meeting, and we are also available for any private dialogue with Mr. Rubio.”

    The State Department has not said which officials Rubio will meet with Wednesday but that he intends to discuss ways to promote regional security and stability, trade and economic growth in group and bilateral meetings.

    Caribbean leaders also are expected to talk about other issues like security, reparations, climate change and financing, and a single market economy.


    US policy in the Caribbean

    The U.S. also has killed at least 151 people in strikes targeting small boats accused of smuggling drugs since early September. The latest attack Monday killed three people in the Caribbean Sea. The U.S. has not provided evidence that the targeted boats are ferrying drugs.

    Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Trinidad and Tobago’s prime minister, has previously praised the attacks. Tuesday was no exception as she thanked Trump, Rubio and the U.S. military “for standing firm against narcotrafficking” and for their cooperation in national security matters.

    “The crime is so bad, I cannot depend on just my military, my protective services,” she said.

    Cuba’s situation also is expected to dominate talks at CARICOM’s summit.

    Cuba’s U.N. resident coordinator Francisco Pichón told AP on Monday that the U.S. oil embargo is preventing humanitarian aid from reaching those still struggling to recover from Hurricane Melissa, which struck eastern Cuba in late October as a Category 3 storm.

    He noted that the energy blockade and fuel shortages “affect the entire logistics chain involved in being able to work in Cuba at this time, anywhere in the country.”

    Lee reported from Washington, and Coto from San José, Costa Rica. Associated Press reporters Bert Wilkinson in Georgetown, Guyana, and Andrea Rodríguez in Havana contributed to this report.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Feb. 2026

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  • Residents express concerns over plans for Polk agriculture center

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    POLK COUNTY, Fla. — County leaders presented plans to the community Tuesday night for an agriculture center.

    While the county believes the facility will be an economic boost, others are not totally on board with the idea.

    What You Need To Know

    • Polk County commissioners presented plans for a new agriculture center

    • The center will be located near the Mosaic Peace River Park in Bartow

    • Some residents are concerned over the effect it will have on the existing disc golf course


    One of those is Eric Bailey, who has a passion for disc golf. He picked up the sport about three years ago.

    “It gets you out in the environment, we’re out in wildlife,” he said.

    Every weekend, you’ll find him at the Mosaic Peace River Park on the disc golf course.

    “This is one of the top courses in the state of Florida. It brings a lot of challenges, it’s open to creativity with our shots,” he said.

    But this space will soon look a lot different. It will be home to Polk County’s newest agriculture center.

    Bailey says the change worries him. “This property is already occupied by a disk golf course, nature, birdwatchers,” he said.

    Polk County Commissioner Rick Wilson said the facility will include a new arena, livestock stables, trails, and RV parking. They won’t be getting rid of disc golf — it will just be in a new space.

    “They’ll still be on the property,” Wilson said. “We’re going to build a nice place for them because they are good for the community and good for what we got going on here.”

    Wilson said the county has outgrown the current agricultural center, which is actually in a state-owned building. 

    He said a new complex will provide an economic boost for the county. “This is a good starting point. This can be utilized with a lot of different areas and agricultural,” he said.

    The county will fund the project, and Wilson says they’ll also be looking for federal grants to move forward.

    Bailey said that he is not opposed to a new center, although he hopes the area doesn’t lose the appeal it currently has.

    “It’s not just to support disc golf or wildlife, agriculture, everything that’s out here is important to everybody,” he said.

    The county’s decision means change is coming, but it doesn’t mean Bailey won’t be able to enjoy disc golf.

    Wilson says their goal is to have the center constructed by the end of 2028.

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    Lizbeth Gutierrez

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  • Trump’s State of the Union seeks to calm economic jitters

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    WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump declared during the State of the Union on Tuesday that “we’re winning so much,” saying he sparked a jobs and manufacturing boom at home while imposing a new world order abroad — hoping that offering a long list of his accomplishments can counter approval ratings that have been falling.

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    kAmxE 😀 A@E6?E:2==J A@=:E:42==J A6C:=@FD 29625 @7 }@G6>36C 6=64E:@?D E92E 4@F=5 56=:G6C 4@?8C6DD:@?2= H:?D E@ s6>@4C2ED[ ;FDE 2D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^dghfb_5c3egbc2_53_3dgg7adbde7bb2Qma_`g’D 3=F6 H2G6k^2m 4C62E65 2 DEC@?8 4964< E@ 9:D 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 5FC:?8 9:D 7:CDE E6C>]k^Am

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    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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    By WILL WEISSERT and MICHELLE L. PRICE – Associated Press

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  • Trump cites Charlotte light rail slaying, criticizes ‘pro-crime’ Democrats

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    In President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday night, he recognized Anna Zarutska in the audience. She is the mother of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, the Ukrainian woman killed on a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

    Anna Zarutska cried as the president described the stabbing and blamed “pro-crime” Democrats for Iryna Zarutska’s 2025 death.

    “Iryna fled war-torn Ukraine to live with relatives near Charlotte, North Carolina,” the president said in his address. As an aside, he added, “And by the way, what’s going on with Charlotte?”

    “Last summer, 23-year-old Iryna was riding home on the train when a deranged monster, who had been arrested over a dozen times and was released through no cash bail, stood up and viciously slashed a knife through her neck and body,” Trump continued.

    Cameras showed Anna Zarutska openly weeping as the president talked about her daughter’s killing. 

    RELATED: 8 takeaways from Trump’s State of the Union address

    The president falsely said the accused killer, DeCarlos Brown, was an immigrant. Brown is, in fact, an American citizen.

    “She had escaped a brutal war only to be slain by a hardened criminal, set free to kill in America, came in through open borders,” Trump said. 

    The stabbing death of Iryna Zarutska, caught in a graphic video, shocked Charlotte and drew national attention to the Queen City. 

    RELATED: Iryna’s Law already impacting some defendants’ pretrial process

    Brown had a long history of mental health issues and contacts with the criminal justice system, public records show. He served five years in prison for armed robbery. He was arrested most recently for misuse of 911 in 2025, a misdemeanor, and released from jail. 

    The killing on Charlotte’s popular Lynx Blue Line light rail drove action in Raleigh, where the North Carolina General Assembly passed Iryna’s Law.

    The law gets rid of judges’ ability to release people from jail on a written promise to appear. It also gives judges more authority to deny “no cash” bonds to people who could potentially be a risk to the community. 

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

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    Charles Duncan

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  • Gov. Gavin Newsom takes heat from Republicans and LGBTQ+ lawmakers during book tour

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    LOS ANGELES — If politicians write memoirs to generate online buzz and headlines, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is getting plenty of both — favorable and not.

    Just a few days into a national book tour, the two-term Democrat who is widely expected to seek the presidency in 2028 is taking heat from conservatives who say some recent remarks were racist and from LGBTQ+ advocates bristling at his calls for the Democratic Party to be more “culturally normal.”

    Newsom’s kickoff swing for “Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery” comes as he’s sought to position himself as the leading Democratic adversary to President Donald Trump and a capable player on the international stage.

    The book, released Tuesday, focuses heavily on carefully crafted biography over policy and is designed to introduce Newsom to a national audience who may be unfamiliar with the former San Francisco mayor and lieutenant governor. It’s been argued that all publicity is good publicity, but the six-city tour is also testing those limits as Newsom seeks to shake off the image, fair or not, of a liberal elitist out of touch with Main Street.

    Newsom’s middling academic record and lifelong struggles with dyslexia are a key piece of his narrative as he seeks relatability with audiences. But conservatives have seized on comments about those struggles made Sunday during a conversation with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, who is Black.

    “I’m just trying to impress upon you: I’m like you, I’m no better than you, I’m a 960 SAT guy,” he said, referring to a lower-than-average score on the commonly used college entrance exam.

    Republicans said Newsom was disparaging Black people by suggesting they weren’t smart, an assertion Newsom and his office forcefully denied.

    “Black Americans aren’t your low bar,” South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott, who is Black, wrote on social media. “We’ve built empires, created movements, outworked, outhustled and outsmarted people like you. Stop using your mediocre academics as a way to patronize communities. Its ridiculous!”

    Newsom’s office pushed back hard against another critic, Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity, accusing him of being indifferent to racist remarks made by Trump and saying his comments amounted to fake outrage. “You’re going to call me racist for talking about my lifelong struggle with dyslexia?” Newsom wrote on X.

    His office said the crowd, which can be heard laughing, was racially diverse. Dickens said critics were taking the comments out of context.

    “That wasn’t an attack on anyone. It was a moment of vulnerability about his own journey,” the mayor wrote on Instagram. “We’ve gotten so used to loud, chest-pounding politics that when someone speaks about shortcomings, people try to twist it into something else.”

    Other prominent Black Democrats also chimed in to defend Newsom.

    The back-and-forth has put Newsom’s book tour in the national headlines for several days, a premium place to be in a fragmented world of political news.

    “At this early stage of the pre-presidential race, just about any publicity is good publicity,” said Republican strategist Mike Murphy. To “have the spotlight is invaluable and Newsom has a real knack for attracting all the right enemies if you are running for the Democratic presidential nomination.”

    Newsom’s press office later taunted in a social media post that he was dominating news coverage on the same day as Trump’s State of the Union speech. “FOX NEWS IS WALL-TO-WALL COVERAGE OF ME,” the post said.

    Critics of his remarks in Atlanta were largely on the right but included some exceptions like Nina Turner, a co-chair of Sen. Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign, and Cornel West, who tried to launch a third-party presidential bid in 2024. Both are Black.

    Meanwhile, he’s facing blowback from California Democrats over other remarks made this week.

    He told CNN in an interview aired Monday that the Democratic Party needs to be “more culturally normal” and “less prone to spending a disproportionate amount of time on pronouns, identity” while emphasizing energy costs, child care and other kitchen table issues.

    “It’s deeply concerning for anyone, especially our elected leaders, to be defining who or what is ‘culturally normal.’ By definition, it implies someone else is ‘not normal,’” the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus said in a statement.

    “We cannot adopt the language of MAGA extremists who in the last year are actively seeking to roll back the rights of women, LGBTQ+ individuals and marginalized communities,” the caucus wrote.

    Lindsey Cobia, a senior Newsom campaign adviser, noted his long history supporting the LGBTQ+ community including when, as mayor, he issued marriage licenses to same-sex couples before it was legal.

    “Nobody’s been a bigger supporter of LGBTQ+ rights than Governor Newsom,” she said in a statement.

    It’s not the first time Newsom has angered allies in the LGBTQ+ community. On the first episode of his political podcast last year, he said it was “ deeply unfair ” for transgender athletes to participate in women’s sports. Those comments were widely viewed as an attempt by Newsom to move to the political center.

    Newsom’s last two stops on the book tour are in San Francisco and Los Angeles. With a year left in his governorship, some critics say he should stay focused at home.

    “To go on a book tour when our state is in desperate need of revamping and revisions … its almost comical,” said Hollywood crisis manager Holly Baird, who is not a fan of the governor.

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  • US military boards third oil tanker in Indian Ocean after tracking it from Caribbean

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    WASHINGTON — U.S. military forces boarded a third sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking it from the Caribbean Sea in an effort to target illicit oil connected to Venezuela, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

    U.S. Southern Command said in a post on X that U.S. forces boarded the Bertha overnight, conducting “a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding.”

    “The vessel was operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean and attempted to evade,” the post said. “From the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, we tracked it and stopped it.”

    Venezuela had faced U.S. sanctions on its oil for several years, relying on a shadow fleet of falsely flagged tankers to smuggle crude into global supply chains. President Donald Trump ordered a quarantine of sanctioned tankers in December to pressure Venezuela’s then-President Nicolás Maduro before Maduro was apprehended in January during an American military operation.

    The Bertha is a vessel flagged to the Cook Islands and is under U.S. sanctions related to Iran, according to the website of the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

    Video posted by the Pentagon shows U.S. military helicopters flying toward the tanker.

    Trump’s Republican administration has been seizing tankers as part of its broader efforts to take control of Venezuela’s oil. The Pentagon’s post did not state whether the Bertha was formally seized and placed under U.S. control.

    Maduro was brought to the U.S. to face charges of working with drug cartels to facilitate the shipment of thousands of tons of cocaine into the U.S. and has pleaded not guilty.

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  • Bowling Green survey highlights voters views

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    OHIO — President Donald Trump is set to make his State of the Union speech at 9 p.m. on Tuesday night.

    As the president prepares to speak to the joint session of Congress, there’s a lot on the minds of Americans just over a year into his second term.

    What You Need To Know

    • Bowling Green State University/YouGov’s February 2026 survey of 1,200 U.S. registered voters paints a picture of Americans’ thoughts on the current political environment

    • President Donald Trump will make his State of the Union speech at 9 p.m. Tuesday evening

    • Voters seemed to identify the economy as an important issue

    According to Bowling Green State University/YouGov’s February 2026 survey of 1,200 U.S. registered voters, 41% either somewhat or strongly approve of how Trump has handled the job as president. On the other hand, 51% strongly disapprove, and 7% somewhat disapprove.

    Here’s what else the survey found.

    Voters appeared to identify the economy as an important issue.

    Respondents identified the following issues as the most important to them: the economy in general (42%), health care (31%), threats to democracy (32%), immigration (31%) and inflation (29%).

    Only 28% of the respondents said the economic situation has improved (either somewhat or significantly) in the past year. That’s compared to 55% who said it has gotten much or somewhat worse. A total of 17% of people said it stayed about the same.

    As the 2026 Midterm draws nearer, 49% of respondents said they’d support the Democratic candidate in Congress if the vote were today, compared to 41% who said they’d support the Republican and 9% who said they’d support neither.

    A total of 59% of respondents feel the U.S. is headed in the wrong direction, compared to 34% who feel it on the right track.

    Operations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have dominated recent media cycles, and it has seemingly not escaped the notice of voters. According to the survey, 58% of respondents said they’ve paid a great deal of attention to recent ICE raids, and 33% said they paid some attention. Only 9% of people said they paid little or no attention.

    Most respondents oppose what they’ve seen of these “ICE raids,” with 50% strongly opposed and 9% somewhat opposed. A total of 27% of the respondents said they strongly favor the raids, and 14% somewhat favor them.

    The majority of Americans agree with the statement “I am proud to be an American.” A little over half (52%) of the respondents strongly agreed with the state, and a quarter (25%) somewhat agree. A total of 23% of people either somewhat or strongly disagree.

    You can view the full survey here:

    Spectrum News reporter Susan Carpenter contributed to this report.

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    Cody Thompson

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  • European Officials Visit Ukraine to Show Support as Country Marks 4 Years of Russia’s All-Out War

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    KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — More than a dozen senior European officials arrived in the Ukrainian capital on Tuesday in a show of support on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine — a grim anniversary in a war that has killed tens of thousands of people and put European leaders on edge about the scale of Moscow’s ambitions on the continent.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country has withstood the onslaught by Russia’s bigger and better equipped army, which over the past year of fighting captured just 0.79% of Ukraine’s territory, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank.

    “Looking back at the beginning of the invasion and reflecting on today, we have every right to say: we have defended our independence, we have not lost our statehood,” Zelenskyy said on social media, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin has “not achieved his goals.”

    “He has not broken Ukrainians; he has not won this war,” Zelenskyy also said.

    However, as the corrosive war of attrition enters its fifth year, a U.S.-led diplomatic push to end Europe’s biggest armed conflict since World War II appears no closer to finding compromises that might make a peace deal possible.

    Negotiations are stuck on what happens to the Donbas, eastern Ukraine’s industrial heartland which Russian forces mostly occupy but have failed to seize completely, and the terms of a postwar security arrangement that Kyiv is demanding to deter any future Russian invasion.

    The number of soldiers killed, injured or missing on both sides could reach 2 million by spring, with Russia sustaining the largest number of troop deaths for any major power in any conflict since World War II, a report last month from the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated.

    European leaders see their countries’ own security at stake in Ukraine amid concerns about Putin’s wider goals and has demanded its leaders be consulted in the ongoing U.S.-brokered talks.

    German Chancellor Friedrich Merz wrote on X that “for four years, every day and every night has been a nightmare for the Ukrainians — and not just for them, but for us all. Because war is back in Europe.”

    “We will only end it by being strong together, because the fate of Ukraine is our fate,” he added.

    The war has drawn in countries far beyond Ukraine, giving the conflict a global dimension, and threatened to worsen shortages, hunger and political instability in developing countries.

    While NATO countries have come to Ukraine’s aid, Russia has been helped by North Korea, which has sent troops and artillery shells; Iran, which has provided drone technology; and China, which the United States and analysts say has provided machine tools and chips.

    Among the European officials visiting Kyiv on Tuesday were the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, as well as seven prime ministers and three foreign ministers.

    With Ukraine unable to sustain its fight against Russia without foreign help, NATO countries are now providing military help, purchasing American weapons after the Trump administration broke with earlier Washington policy and stopped giving arms to Kyiv.

    The European Union has also sent financial aid, but has sometimes met with reluctance from members Hungary and Slovakia.

    British Armed Forces Minister Al Carns said Russia’s war on Ukraine was “the most defining conflict” in decades.

    “I don’t think anyone of us would be able to guess (when the war started) the scale and size of what has taken place,” he said.

    The cost of rebuilding war-battered Ukraine would amount to almost $588 billion over the next decade, according to World Bank, the European Commission, the United Nations and the Ukrainian government.

    That is nearly three times the estimated nominal GDP of Ukraine for last year, they said in a report Monday.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Feb. 2026

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    Associated Press

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  • Despite some public objections, Palmetto approves teen curfew

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    PALMETTO, Fla. — Despite some pushback from the community, members of the Palmetto City Commission voted 4-1 Monday to adopt a new curfew ordinance for minors.

    What You Need To Know

    • Despite some pushback from the community, members of the Palmetto City Commission voted 4-1 Monday to adopt a new curfew ordinance for minors

    • Children under 16 will not be allowed out without a parent between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and midnight to 6 a.m. Friday and Saturday

    • Some parents and community members spoke against the ordinance, saying they worry teens in minority groups might be targeted

    Children under 16 will not be allowed out without a parent between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and midnight to 6 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

    The city’s ordinance mirrors the ordinance passed by the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners in November.

    Some parents and community members spoke against the city’s ordinance, saying they worry teens in minority groups might be targeted.

    “I just don’t want our children ending up caught up into the system or having any fines imposed on them when they’re not the responsible ones for all of that,” said Manatee County NAACP President Tracey Washington.


    Palmetto Police Chief Scott Tyler said the rule will help protect teens, and they will not be charged criminally for violating it.

    “We enforce the law impartially, effectively,” Tyler said. “This isn’t an ordinance where we’re going to be out there stopping kids. When we encounter kids, we’re trying to get them home. Also, remember that this ordinance and the statute that backs it up, it’s not criminal.”

    Tyler added there could be a $50 fine, but that will be reserved for repeat violations.

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    Sarah Blazonis

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  • Manatee County Commissioner Carol Felts dies

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    MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Commissioner Carol Felts has died, according to a statement by District 5 Commissioner Dr. Bob McCann on Tuesday.

    Felts represented District 1 after being elected to the post in November 2024.

    McCann called Felts a “true friend to the people.”

    “As the Manatee County Commissioner for District 1, Carol Felts was a devoted public servant, people person, and someone who spoke from the heart,” McCann said.

    Before she took office, she was a regular at county meetings, McCann said.

    She also served on several boards and councils in the county.

    In a news release, the county said: “Throughout her tenure, she worked diligently to represent her constituents, strengthen community partnerships, and advance initiatives that supported the well-being of Manatee County and its residents.”

    Commission Chair Tal Siddique said Felts cared deeply about the people she served.

    “Her commitment to District 1 and to the future of our county was evident in her leadership and service. She will be greatly missed by her colleagues, County staff, and the community,” Siddique said.

    The county will formally recognize Felts during its meeting on March 3.

    The cause of her death wasn’t released.

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    Spectrum News Staff

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