- Monday February 9th, 2026
- "It Is Not A Question of Who Is Right Or Wrong But What Is Right Or Wrong That Counts."
- --Geoff Metcalf
- Providing an on line Triage of the news since 1998
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World & Nation
Senators' Stock Trades Spark Ethics Outrage
A bipartisan group of at least nine U.S. senators reported stock
transactions last year involving companies in industries overseen by
the committees they serve on, according to a CNN report Monday that has
reignited concerns over conflicts of interest and stalled ethics reform
on Capitol Hill.
The disclosures, drawn from financial filings compiled by watchdog
group Capitol Trades and reviewed by CNN, show lawmakers bought and
sold shares in businesses directly affected by legislation and
regulatory oversight — a practice that critics say erodes public trust
and highlights systemic ethical issues in Washington.
While the reported trades are legal under current rules, they have
alarmed government watchdogs and rank-and-file Americans alike.
US Military Intercepts Sanctioned Oil Tanker After Pursuit
U.S. military forces overnight interdicted an oil tanker after tracking
the vessel from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, the Department of
War said early Monday.
In a post on X, the Pentagon described what it called a decisive
enforcement action against the tanker Aquila II, which officials said
was operating in defiance of President Donald Trump's quarantine of
sanctioned vessels originating in the Caribbean.
The operation, conducted in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility, reportedly concluded without incident.
Trump Predicts 100K Dow by End of Presidency
President Donald Trump hailed his first year of his second term in
office, predicting the stock market will double in less than two years
after the Dow Jones closed Friday over 50,000 for the first time in
history.
"Record Stock Market, and National Security, driven by our Great
TARIFFS," Trump wrote on Truth Social during the Super Bowl on Sunday
night.
"I am predicting 100,000 on the DOW by the end of my Term.
That latter remark was a signal to the Supreme Court to not step on his tariffs policy.
Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show ignites Trump's fury, divides viewers
Many viewers were frustrated that almost none of the show was in English
The Super Bowl LX halftime show featuring Latin trap artist Bad Bunny
was the subject of immense criticism from Americans on Sunday night.
President Donald Trump called it "one of the worst ever."
"The Super Bowl Halftime Show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst,
EVER! It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and
doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence.
Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is
disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from
throughout the U.S.A., and all over the World," Trump wrote on Truth
Social.
Ghislaine Maxwell to Plead Fifth at House Oversight Deposition
Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell intends to refuse to answer
questions at a Monday deposition before the House's Committee on
Oversight and Government Reform, according to a Sunday letter from Rep.
Ro Khanna.
Maxwell, who was found guilty in 2021 for her role in helping Epstein
sexually abuse teenage girls and is currently serving a 20-year prison
sentence, plans to invoke her Fifth Amendment privilege against
self-incrimination and decline to answer all substantive questions,
according to Khanna's letter to Rep. James Comer, the committee chair.
Maxwell's attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.
Instead of answering individual questions, Maxwell plans to read a
prepared statement at the beginning of her deposition, Khanna, who
serves on the committee, said without detailing the source of his
information.
Zelenskyy: Ukraine Will Export Homegrown Weapons to Allies
Ukraine is opening up exports of its domestically produced weapons,
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, a way for Kyiv to cash in on a
wartime technological arms race against Russia to generate badly needed
funds.
The four-year war has fueled a boom in the defense sector, with
industry associations estimating Ukraine has more than a thousand arms
and military equipment manufacturers, most of them small, privately
owned companies founded after Russia's 2022 invasion.
As companies scrambled to produce new weapon systems and ways to
counter them, the defense sector has grown quicker than the
government's ability to buy its products, leading Kyiv to seek money
from its allies to help fund domestic purchases.
Investigation Continues a Week After Savannah Guthrie Mother Was Reported Missing
The urgent investigation into the apparent kidnapping of 84-year-old
Nancy Guthrie continued Sunday, a week after the mother of "Today" show
host Savannah Guthrie was reported missing in Arizona.
Savannah Guthrie solemnly told the potential kidnappers in a social
media video released Saturday that the family was prepared to pay for
her safe return. Flanked by her siblings, Guthrie said "we received
your message" and that: "This is the only way we will have peace. This
is very valuable to us, and we will pay."
An FBI spokesman said Savannah Guthrie was referring to a message that
was sent to the Tucson-based television station KOLD on Friday. The
station declined to share details about the message's contents as the
FBI conducted its review.
Israeli Raid Captures Hamas Ally as Drone Strike Kills 3
Israeli forces seized a local official with a Sunni Islamist group and
an ally of the Palestinian militant Hamas group in an operation in
southern Lebanon early on Monday, and took him to Israel for
questioning, the Israeli military and Lebanese state media reported.
Also on Monday, an Israeli drone struck a car in the southern Lebanese
village of Yanouh, killing three people, including a 3-year-old child,
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said, quoting the Health
Ministry.
The Israeli military later said it struck Hezbollah artillery official
Ahmad Salami. It said it was aware of a “claim that uninvolved
civilians were killed” and that the case is under review.
Democrats stir up racial division to seize political power — it’s time we stop falling for their hoaxes
By Miranda Devine
Whoever posted a video on President Trump’s social media containing a
racist animation of the Obamas as apes committed an own goal that
overshadowed what otherwise would have been a great week for the
administration.
It shouldn’t have needed the GOP’s only black senator, Tim Scott, to
decry the clip as racist for the post to be deleted and an apology
issued by the White House.
The one-minute video reposted late Thursday on Trump’s Truth Social
account was about voter fraud in the 2020 election, one of the
president’s favorite subjects. At the end, the video flashed for a
split second to a clip of the Obamas from an old “Lion King” meme
depicting Democrats as animals, and Trump as a lion.
Why Bad Bunny’s polarizing Super Bowl halftime show felt like a slap at America
Bad Bunny delivered a highly divisive Super Bowl halftime show that put identity politics front and center
By Jorge Bonilla
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show is officially behind us.
Mercifully. What began with hype and outrage, and then more outrage,
ended with a show most charitably described as polarizing and confusing
for those who were not already Bad Bunny fans. NFL Commissioner Roger
Goodell promised that Bad Bunny would use the show to unite the world
"in a really creative and fun way." It turns out that he was right.
Most of the country, with the exception of some Democrats like
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, was united in its revulsion over a show
that was narrowly tailored to a niche audience despite being billed as
inclusive and respectful of America.
The pre-show hype around Bad Bunny’s invitation to perform at this
year’s Super Bowl began with his "SNL" demand that viewers "learn
Spanish." He walked the dig back at the pre-Super Bowl press
conference, but the sentiment ended up being true.
Then there was the online rumor that Bad Bunny would wear a dress
during his halftime performance and honor Hispanic LGBTQ+ figures. That
turned out to be a hoax.
