Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) announced on Thursday that she won’t run for re-election in 2026, becoming the second Democratic senator this year to declare her intentions to retire when her term ends in 2027.

In a video posted on X, the 66-year-old senator said her decision is “not political” but based on a desire to “spend more time with [her] family.” Smith has served in the Senate since 2018 after she won a special election to replace former Sen. Al Franken, who resigned following sexual misconduct allegations against him. Before her time in the Senate, Smith was Minnesota’s lieutenant governor from 2015 to 2018, and prior to that stint, she worked as an executive at Planned Parenthood of Minnesota.

“This decision is not political,” Smith said. “It is entirely personal, but it’s not lost on me that our country is in need of strong progressive leadership, right now maybe more than ever.”

“So, there are two things on my mind about this,” she continued. “The first is that I have nearly two full years left in my Senate term, and I plan to use every single day working to represent your interests in the United States Senate. … And also, since I don’t have to worry about running a re-election campaign, I can focus entirely on this job right now.”

I’ve decided not to run for re-election to the Senate in 2026.

This job has been the honor of a lifetime. For the rest of my term, I’ll work as hard as I can for Minnesotans and our country.

Thank you so much, Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/3sWVib8nKJ

— Senator Tina Smith (@SenTinaSmith) February 13, 2025

Smith added that Minnesota Democrats have a “deep bench of political talent.” Democrats have held both Minnesota Senate seats since 2009. According to Cook Political Report’s first 2026 Senate forecast, which was released before Smith announced her retirement, Democrats are “likely” going to keep her seat, but the party’s longtime hold on the state has shown signs of slipping in recent elections. In the 2024 presidential election, former Vice President Kamala Harris won Minnesota by just four percentage points after former President Joe Biden won the state by seven points in 2020. Smith won her 2020 re-election bid by five points.

Last month, Democratic Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan announced he would not seek re-election in 2026, blowing the Senate race wide open in the Great Lakes State. Peters said he “always thought there would be a time that I would step aside and pass the reins for the next generation,” adding, “I also never saw service in Congress as something you do your whole life.”

Republicans are currently favored to hang on to control of the Senate in the 2026 midterms and have a good chance to build on their 53-seat majority.

Egypt is reportedly working on a plan to fund and facilitate the rebuilding of Gaza within three to five years after President Donald Trump proposed that the U.S. take control of the war-torn territory.

According to multiple reports, Egypt’s proposal for the reconstruction of Gaza includes Arab-led nations, the European Union, and the United Nations — with no mention of cooperation with the U.S. government. Egypt’s reported plan comes as Trump has doubled down on his goal to relocate around two million Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt, Jordan, and other Arab countries, allowing for the United States to “take over.”

The Wall Street Journal reported that Egypt’s plan includes keeping Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and setting up a “committee of technocrats drawn from across Gaza to administer the enclave.” Security for Gaza would be provided by Palestinians who are trained by Arab forces. The Egyptian proposal reportedly kicks the question of “Palestinian statehood” down the road and instead focuses entirely on the immediate reconstruction of Gaza.

“For the Arab world, recognizing that Trump actually means what he says in terms of Gaza means the necessity of coming up with an alternative to push forward,” Middle East security expert H.A. Hellyer told the Journal.

On Tuesday, Trump met with King Abdullah II of Jordan at the White House, where the two leaders discussed the situation in Gaza and how to address the rebuilding. During the meeting, King Abdullah said his country would take in 2,000 sick children from Gaza, an offer Trump said was “beautiful.” Before agreeing to help with any more refugee resettlement, King Abdullah said he would wait for Egypt to present its plan.

Last week, the president said that the United States would seek control of Gaza to create an economy that would “supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area.” Days later, Trump elaborated on that plan, writing that America would work “with great development teams from all over the World” to rebuild the territory that has been controlled by Hamas terrorists, adding that no U.S. troops would be needed on the ground.

“With the United States being in control of that piece of land … you can have stability in the Middle East for the first time,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday. “And the Palestinians, or the people that live now in Gaza, will be living beautifully in another location.”

King Abdullah, however, said that every Arab-led nation would reject Trump’s proposal.

Trump invited Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi to discuss the issue, but Al Sisi has not yet accepted the offer. Earlier this week, Egypt said it would host a summit of Arab leaders at the end of the month to discuss “the new and dangerous developments in the Palestinian issue.”

Trump has given Israel the green light to let “hell break out” if Hamas doesn’t release the remaining hostages by Saturday at noon. Hamas suspended the release of hostages after accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement.

Inflation in the U.S. increased 3% in January compared to the previous year, rising for the fourth straight month and presenting an economic challenge for the new administration in the White House.

The Consumer Price Index’s increase was higher than economists predicted, as grocery prices in January also ticked up 0.5% from the previous month and 1.9% year-over-year. The January CPI numbers mark the final report for former President Joe Biden’s time in office and the first days of the new Trump administration.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report released on Wednesday, “The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs rose 1.9 percent over the month, as the index for eggs increased 15.2 percent.” The massive increase in the cost of eggs is due to widespread bird flu, which resulted in a nationwide egg shortage. Along with raising prices, grocery stores across the U.S. have limited the number of egg cartons customers can purchase in one trip, and some restaurants are charging more for orders that include eggs.

The price jump for eggs was the largest increase since June 2015 and “accounted for about two thirds of the total monthly food at home increase,” according to the BLS. Foods other than eggs rose 0.3% in January. The energy index also rose 1.1% in January as gas prices jumped 1.8%.

Trump commented on the inflation report with a Truth Social post on Wednesday morning, simply writing, “BIDEN INFLATION UP!” Earlier in the morning, Trump said that interest rates “should be lowered,” adding that it would “go hand in hand with upcoming Tariffs!!!” The rise in inflation, however, will give the Federal Reserve a reason to keep interest rates where they currently stand.

In his first weeks back in office, Trump has focused much of his economic policy on tariffs and energy production. Earlier this week, the president imposed a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports, which the White House argues will help revitalize U.S. industry and boost production. However, some worry that the steel and aluminum tariffs will hurt American manufacturers and workers.

Inflation skyrocketed to more than 9% under President Biden before gradually falling to 2.4% in September 2024. Since September, inflation has slowly ticked back up each month. After Trump vowed on the campaign trail to “immediately” alleviate the stress on Americans’ wallets, the administration suggested that plan could take some time. Vice President JD Vance told CBS News last month, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” adding that “it’s going to take a little bit of time” before Americans see their grocery bills go down.

“Donald Trump has already taken multiple executive actions that are going to lower energy prices, and I do believe that means consumers are going to see lower prices at the pump and at the grocery store, but it’s going to take a little bit of time,” Vance told CBS News host Margaret Brennan.

President Donald Trump, joined by Elon Musk in the Oval Office, signed an executive order on Tuesday to give the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project more oversight of the federal government workforce.

Under Trump’s order, the heads of federal agencies are directed to “coordinate and consult” with DOGE in the hiring process and to “limit hiring to essential positions.” The order promises to “significantly reduce the size of government,” an effort the Trump administration has already begun by gutting the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and turning its sights on eliminating the Department of Education, a promise Trump made on the campaign trail.

Musk and his team at DOGE have already looked into nearly 20 agencies, identifying spending cuts and suggesting complete program overhauls, The New York Times reported. Answering questions from reporters in the Oval Office with Trump on Tuesday night, Musk emphasized the importance of dismantling the excessive federal bureaucracy.

“If there’s not a good feedback loop from the people to the government, and if you have rule of the bureaucrat, if the bureaucracy is in charge, then what meaning does democracy actually have?” Musk asked. “If the people cannot vote and have their will be decided by their elected representatives in the form of the president and the Senate and the House, then we don’t live in a democracy; we live in a bureaucracy.”

The executive order was endorsed by Russell Vought, who was confirmed by the Senate last week as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

“Again, this is more action and activities that we can do. The president can move forward unilaterally using the laws that are on the books to have reductions in force,” Vought said in an interview with Fox News.

Democrats have pushed back against Musk’s work in the Trump administration, arguing that DOGE — a project created by Trump — should not get access to sensitive government databases. Some on the Left have even called Musk’s efforts a “hostile takeover” of government financial systems.

Trump told reporters that he would prevent Musk from working on projects if there were “a lack of transparency or a conflict of interest.” He added that he hopes “the court system is going to allow us to do what we have to do.”

“We got elected to, among other things, find all of this fraud and abuse and all of this horrible stuff going on,” the president said. “We’ve already found billions of dollars, not like a little bit — billions, many billions of dollars, and when you get down to it, it’s probably going to be close to a trillion dollars.”

A federal judge in New York temporarily blocked DOGE from accessing Treasury Department data after 19 state attorneys general sued to prevent DOGE from accessing sensitive data. The Department of Justice is fighting back, seeking to end the judge’s order, which it called a “remarkable intrusion.”

“Basic democratic accountability requires that every executive agency’s work be supervised by politically accountable leadership, who ultimately answer to the president,” the DOJ wrote.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, defended Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to scrap “stupid” government spending.

Jordan made the remarks in an interview with Morning Wire as the Left ramps up its attacks on President Donald Trump and Musk’s influence on the Trump administration. After Trump put Musk to work last month, DOGE found government waste totaling billions of dollars. In his interview with Morning Wire, Jordan slammed Democrats for raging against Musk’s “common sense” actions.

“I think the American people view it this way: they’re saying like, ‘Wow, we were spending our tax money on these stupid things?’ And of course, the Left, instead of attacking the stupid things and stopping the stupid things that, you know, taxpayer money is being spent on, they attack the guy who’s exposing it,” Jordan told Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley.

“I think the country, deep down, appreciates [that] President Trump said he was going to do this,” the Republican added.

Jordan said the Left was busy defending “career bureaucrats” after “77 million people said, we want President Trump making these decisions.”

“It’s not the career experts — the Dr. Faucis of the world — who run the country. It’s the people who put their names on a ballot and get elected. They make the decisions,” Jordan added.

Last week, Democratic leaders joined protesters in Washington, D.C., to denounce what they described as Musk’s “hostile takeover” of government financial systems. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) told the crowd, “Every American’s information is at risk. What does Elon Musk do with everything he touches? He makes money!”

A federal judge in New York temporarily blocked DOGE from accessing Treasury Department data after 19 state attorneys general sued to stop DOGE’s access to sensitive data. Despite the challenge to DOGE’s work, Republicans remain supportive of Musk taking a flamethrower to government spending.

“It’s a very aggressive agenda that was promised to the voters. Remember, [Trump is] delivering on campaign promises right now,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said on Monday. “We are going to be codifying a lot of these changes, and what they’ve uncovered is, frankly, shocking. There are a lot of expenditures of the federal government that Congress has not been aware of, in spite of our best efforts to do oversight, some of this has been hidden.”

Jordan added that Trump “has said he’s going to use Elon Musk and his team, and God bless them for what they’re exposing and showing. And the platform they have to really get that out there for the American people to see and understand, I think it’s a good thing.”

Democrats are staring at a difficult path ahead of the 2026 Senate elections, as the first forecast from Cook Political Report shows Republicans with the edge to keep control and potentially flip two more Democratic seats while Democrats have no clear path to winning back the Senate.

After riding a wave of support from President Donald Trump in the 2024 election, Republicans now hold a 53-seat majority, giving the party control of Congress and the White House. Of the 35 seats up for election in 2026, two seats currently controlled by Democrats are at risk of flipping to the GOP. According to Cook Political Report, the race for Democratic Sen. John Ossoff’s seat in Georgia is rated a “toss-up,” as is the race for the open Senate seat in Michigan, which is being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.

Of the 12 Democrat-held seats up for election in 2026, one of them, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), is “lean D,” and another, Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), is “likely D,” while the rest of the races are safely in the Democrats’ hands as of today. Republicans, meanwhile, have two races that Cook Political Report has rated “lean R” — Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) — and one race rated “likely R” — Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH).

For Democrats to regain control of the Senate, they would have to pull off upsets in each of the three races where Republicans hold an advantage and pull off a major upset in one of the 19 seats considered safely Republican.

🚨 #BREAKING: First 2026 Senate forecast by Cook Political Report
🔴 Republican: 53
🔵 Democratic: 45
🟡 Tossup: 2 pic.twitter.com/XQhblnrJ1c

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) February 11, 2025

Georgia and Michigan will likely be the most closely followed races during the 2026 campaign. Ossoff, who won the seat in 2020 after going to a runoff election, will face a tough challenge to keep his seat. Multiple Georgia Republicans, including Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, have been floated as potential candidates, but none have officially announced a campaign.

In Michigan, Democrat Pete Buttigieg has been floated as a potential candidate for Sen. Peters’ seat. The former presidential candidate and Biden Secretary of Transportation moved to Traverse City, Michigan, around two years ago. Michigan Republican Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt announced his campaign for the Senate seat last month, and longtime Detroit Democratic Mayor Mike Duggan announced in December that he is running for the position as an independent. Other Republicans reportedly considering a run for the Senate in Michigan include Rep. John James, former Rep. and 2024 Senate candidate Mike Rogers, and conservative media personality Tudor Dixon, the 2022 Michigan GOP nominee for governor.

Another interesting race to watch will be the Florida Senate election. Ashley Moody, appointed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, will run to keep the seat that formerly belonged to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The Cook Political Report labels that race as “solid R.”

Vice President JD Vance addressed world leaders at the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit in Paris on Tuesday, pointing to the U.S. as the global leader on “one of the most promising technologies we have seen in generations.”

The conference included world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Canada’s outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and tech executives. In his speech, the vice president outlined four key points he says the Trump administration will strive for in its AI policy: making America the “gold standard” of AI, fighting excessive regulation in the industry, preventing political bias in AI, and advocating for American workers as the technology continues to develop.

“This administration will continue to ensure that American AI technology continues to be the gold standard worldwide,” Vance said. “And we are the partner of choice for others, foreign countries, and certainly businesses, as they expand their own use of AI.”

To “safeguard” America’s place at the top of AI development, Vance said the Trump administration will “ensure that the most powerful AI systems are built in the U.S. with American designed and manufactured chips.” He emphasized that while the U.S. will strive to independently develop AI technology, the Trump administration also desires a partnership with other countries.

“We want to embark on the AI revolution before us with a spirit of openness and collaboration, but to create that kind of trust, we need international regulatory regimes that foster the creation of AI technology rather than strangle it,” Vance remarked. “And we need our European friends in particular to look to this new frontier with optimism rather than trepidation.”

Citing President Donald Trump’s recent executive order on AI, Vance said the U.S. would pursue an “AI action plan that avoids overly precautionary regulatory regime while ensuring that all Americans benefit from the technology and its transformative potential.” One day after being sworn into office, Trump announced a $500 billion investment to build AI infrastructure in the U.S., a move the president said would help America compete with foreign adversaries such as China.

Vance called out foreign governments that were “tightening the screws” on AI development by regulating tech companies “with international footprints.” He said that “America cannot and will not accept that,” adding that heavy regulation on the tech sector is “a terrible mistake, not just for the United States of America, but for your own countries.”

Vance said he strongly agrees with the argument previously put forward by Prime Minister Modi that AI will “facilitate” the creation of more jobs.

“It is not going to replace human beings. It will never replace human beings,” Vance added. “And I think too many leaders in the AI industry — when they talk about this fear of replacing workers — I think they really miss the point. AI, we believe, is going to make us more productive, more prosperous, and more free.”

The vice president also commented on the Trump administration’s desire to keep ideological bias out of AI and protect Americans’ right to free speech as AI progresses. He reminded the audience of when AI systems generated historically inaccurate images of George Washington as a black man and American infantrymen in World War I as women.

“Now, we laugh at this now, and of course it was ridiculous, but we have to remember the lessons from that ridiculous moment,” Vance said. “And what we take from it is that the Trump administration will ensure that AI systems developed in America are free from ideological bias and never restrict our citizens’ right to free speech.”

Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December, has accepted nearly $300,000 from thousands of individual donations for his criminal defense, Fox News reported on Monday.

Mangione, 26, pled not guilty to charges of murder and terrorism in New York and also faces federal murder charges, which make him eligible for the death penalty. The Ivy League grad is accused of gunning down Thompson from behind in Midtown Manhattan on December 4 as the CEO was on his way to a company conference at the Hilton hotel. Mangione has been turned into a folk hero for some people on the Left who view the alleged assassin’s actions as retribution for health care companies.

Mangione’s lead defense attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, said that the “outpouring of support” and donations to her client is appreciated, adding that Mangione “plans on utilizing it to fight all three of the unprecedented cases against him.”

The fundraiser, organized by the December 4 Legal Committee and set up on GiveSendGo, raised over $295,000, according to the New York Post.

“We are thrilled that the money raised by this campaign will go toward building the strongest possible defense against these insulting charges,” the organizers wrote. “We remain committed to a world where our survival and wellbeing are no longer sacrificed for another’s wealth.”

The donations were celebrated by Jamie Peck and Sam Beard, who speak on behalf of the fund and also host the podcast “Party Girls,” which focuses on “communism and gossip.”

“Luigi has seen a literally unprecedented wave of support from tens of millions of hard-working Americans,” Beard said in a video. “All of this has sort of re-jumpstarted a longstanding conversation in this country about how the cruel and unusual for-profit health care system in America is rotten to its very core.”

December 4 Legal Committee hopes to raise $500,000 as the fundraiser will continue throughout Mangione’s trial. Mangione’s next appearance in state court is scheduled for February 21.

Thompson, a husband and father of two children, was killed by a masked assassin who was caught on video firing multiple shots into the UnitedHealthcare CEO before fleeing the scene. Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, five days after the murder.

After arresting Mangione in Pennsylvania, authorities recovered a notebook allegedly belonging to him that includes a passage where the writer mentions taking out “the CEO at the annual parasitic bean-counter convention.” Mangione also allegedly had a manifesto on him that accused UnitedHealthcare of prioritizing profit over patients.

Authorities said on Friday that there are no survivors after finding a Bering Air Cessna Caravan with 10 people on board that crashed on sea ice after going missing over the Norton Sound in Alaska on Thursday.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, rescuers looking for the missing aircraft spotted the wreckage from a helicopter, the Associated Press reported. The Cessna Caravan, which is a single-engine propeller plane, left Unalakleet, Alaska, at 2:37 p.m. local time and was supposed to land in Nome, Alaska, which is a short flight across the Norton Sound. At around 4:00 p.m., Alaska State troopers received word around 4:00 p.m. that the plane was overdue, and authorities began search operations.

The Coast Guard said that at 3:18, the airplane had “some kind of event which caused them to experience a rapid loss in elevation and a rapid loss in speed.” Visibility was poor at the time of the crash as the area experienced light snow and fog.

All 10 people onboard the flight, which included nine passengers and one pilot, were adults, Lt. Ben Endres of the Alaska State Troopers said, according to the AP. Bering Air is based in Nome and operates passenger and charter airline services. Since the sea ice is unstable, authorities are trying to move fast to recover the bodies and any parts of the plane that will aid officials in their investigation into the crash.

#UPDATE (1/2) #USCG has ended its search for the missing plane after the aircraft was located approx. 34 miles southeast of Nome. 3 individuals were found inside and reported to be deceased. pic.twitter.com/XndzBYHdCE

— USCGAlaska (@USCGAlaska) February 8, 2025

“They are on the ice as we speak,” said Nome Volunteer Fire Department Chief Jim West. “The conditions out there are dynamic, and so we’ve got to do it safely and the fastest way we can.”

Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski addressed the crash during a press conference, saying, “It’s hard to accept the reality of our loss.” Nome Mayor John Handeland added, “Nome is a strong community, and in challenging times we come together and support each other. I expect the outpouring of support to continue in the coming days as we all work to recover from this tragic incident.”

The crash is the third on U.S. soil in 2025. Last month, an Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three service members collided with an American Eagle flight that had 64 people on board. The crash sent both aircraft into the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., killing all 67 people involved. Days later, a medical jet carrying a pediatric patient crashed in north Philadelphia, killing all six people on board and one person on the ground and injuring more than 20 others.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on Friday that it was a massive mistake for the U.S. military to use the phrase “diversity is our strength.”

Hegseth, who was confirmed by the Senate late last month, spoke to an audience at the Pentagon auditorium, where he addressed issues such as NATO and Afghanistan and ripped diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), Reuters reported.

“I think the single dumbest phrase in military history is ‘our diversity is our strength,'” he said. “I think our strength is our unity. Our strength is our shared purpose, regardless of our background, regardless of how we grew up, regardless of our gender, regardless of our race.”

“In this department, we will treat everyone equally. We will treat everyone with fairness. We will treat everyone with respect, and we will judge you as an individual by your merit and by your commitment to the team and the mission,” he added. “That’s how it has been and that’s how it will be. Any inference otherwise is meant to divide or create complications that otherwise should not and do not exist.”

.@SecDef Pete Hegseth: "The single dumbest phrase in military history is 'our diversity is our strength.' I think our strength is our unity. Our strength is our shared purpose." pic.twitter.com/xgXobOndeo

— CSPAN (@cspan) February 7, 2025

After his confirmation, Hegseth quickly got to work gutting DEI programs from the U.S. military. President Donald Trump tasked the Defense Secretary with reforming DoD’s selection and promotion process, eliminating DEI-based quotas, and prohibiting Critical Race Theory, DEI, and radical gender theory instructions. Hegseth also put an end to celebrating Black History Month and Women’s History Month, saying that “efforts to divide the force – to put one group ahead of another – erode camaraderie and threaten mission execution.”

During his speech on Friday, Hegseth also said that America’s actions in recent years on the global stage have “created the perception … of American weakness.”

“Chaos happens when the perception of American strength is not complete. And so we aim to reestablish that deterrence,” he added.

The Defense Secretary said that he will prioritize looking into “what happened in Afghanistan” after the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal from the country in 2021. Hegseth said the investigation is “not to be retrospective, not for retribution, but to understand what went wrong and why there was no accountability for it.”

President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would sign an executive order next week ending the federal government’s “ridiculous” push for paper straws.

Last year, the Biden administration announced that it would “phase out” single-use plastic utensils such as cutlery, cups, and straws across federal departments. The move was part of President Joe Biden’s “ambitious actions … to end plastic pollution,” the New York Post reported. In a Truth Social post on Friday morning, Trump said the U.S. government would again use plastic straws.

“I will be signing an Executive Order next week ending the ridiculous Biden push for Paper Straws, which don’t work. BACK TO PLASTIC!” the president wrote.

In recent years, some restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops have begun using paper straws instead of plastic in the name of saving the environment. A Belgian study published in 2023, however, showed that out of plastic, paper, glass, and bamboo straws, paper straws contain the most perfluoroalkylate and polyfluoroalkylate substances (PFAS), which are often referred to as “forever chemicals.”

“PFAS were more frequently detected in plant-based materials, such as paper and bamboo,” the study’s authors noted, adding, “The presence of PFAS in plant-based straws shows that they are not necessarily biodegradable and that the use of such straws potentially contributes to human and environmental exposure of PFAS.”

Until Trump officially rolls out his executive order, it’s unknown how his action could affect state laws and business operations across the country. Some states, such as California and New Jersey, have single-use plastic bans in effect, prohibiting restaurants from handing out plastic straws or cutlery unless a customer specifically asks for them.

Trump’s executive action on paper straws will likely be popular among conservative Americans. After the Biden administration began cracking down on paper straw use in the federal government, Republican lawmakers blasted the move.

“The world’s on fire and [Biden’s] worried about plastic forks,” Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) told The Daily Mail.

“Look, I certainly understand that plastics are a pollutant, we need to do a better job with it,” Rounds added. “But I’m a little bit hesitant to say that this plastic ban will be a good thing.”

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) added, “They should shrink the government if they want it to be less of a consumer. The reason it’s the largest consumer is because … it employs so many people, and it’s doing so many things it was probably never intended to do. So if they want to reduce the impact of the U.S. government environmentally, they should right-size the government.”

President Donald Trump gave his pre-Super Bowl analysis in a Truth Social post on Friday morning, praising players on both the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadephia Eagles while ripping the NFL’s new kickoff rule.

Trump is expected to be in attendance at the big game in New Orleans on Sunday, becoming the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl. In his social media post, Trump had some nice words for both teams’ coaches, quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts, and Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. Trump saved his highest praise for Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

“Two great Quarterbacks in this game. Also, an unbelievable running back, and the absolute best tight end in football (Ever!),” the president wrote. “Incredible coaching!”

Trump’s praise of Kelce comes after the tight end told reporters earlier this week that “it’s a great honor” to have Trump in attendance at the Super Bowl. “I think you know, no matter who the president is, I know I’m excited because it’s the biggest game of my life, you know, and having the president there — it’s the best country in the world — and that’s pretty cool,” Kelce said.

Trump harshly criticized Kelce’s superstar girlfriend Taylor Swift during the 2024 presidential campaign after she endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris. In a Truth Social post in September, Trump wrote, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!”

In his Friday post, Trump blasted the new kickoff rule the NFL instituted at the beginning of the 2024 season, which is meant to cut back on injuries. He also reminded people that he would sit down for an interview with Fox News’s Bret Baier before the game. The pre-Super Bowl presidential interview was a tradition before President Joe Biden skipped it in 2023 and 2024.

“If they would only get rid of that really weird looking new Kickoff ‘deal,’ which actually makes football more dangerous, they would be doing everybody, especially the fans, a big favor,” Trump added. “ANYWAY, IT WILL BE A GREAT GAME!!! I’ll be doing the interview, before the game, at 3:00 P.M. There hasn’t been one in four years (Gee, I wonder why?).”

A plane with 10 people aboard went missing while flying from Unalakleet to Nome, Alaska, on Thursday, sparking a search and rescue operation from state and federal authorities.

The Bering Air Caravan airplane with one pilot and nine passengers left Unalakleet at 2:37 p.m. local time, and Alaska State troopers received word around 4:00 p.m. that the plane was overdue in Nome, CBS News reported. The plane appeared to be traveling over the Norton Sound when it potentially encountered near-whiteout fog. FlightRadar data showed a Bering Air Caravan plane last reporting data at 3:16 p.m.

“U.S. Coast Guard District 17 responded to an aircraft emergency notification from Alaska Rescue Coordination Center at 4:30 p.m. today for a Cessna Caravan that reported to have 10 people aboard,” U.S. Coast Guard Alaska said in a statement. “An HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from Air Station Kodiak to search their last known position. The aircraft was 12 miles offshore transiting from Unalakleet to Nome when its position was lost. More information to follow as it becomes available.”

The Bering Air Cessna Caravan is a single-engine propeller plane. Bering Air is based in Nome and operates passenger and charter airline services.

Due to low visibility, the search plane flew over the water and along the shoreline with equipment that could help locate the missing aircraft. Authorities told people not to form their own search parties due to the weather. The Nome Volunteer Fire Department said, “We continue to expand search efforts to as many avenues as possible until the plane is located.”

In an update at 12:30 a.m. local time on Friday, the fire department said the plane was still missing.

“We do not have any updated information on the location of the missing aircraft. Crews are still searching on the ground, canvassing as much area as possible,” the fire department statement added. “The National Guard C-130 reported they found nothing found so far. The Airforce also sent a C-130 resumed the search and also have reported no visuals, and have one hour of flight search time remaining. If nothing further is reported, the next update will be at 9am.”

The incident comes after an Army Black Hawk helicopter with three service members collided with an American Eagle flight that had 64 people on board. The crash sent both aircraft into the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., killing all 67 people involved. Days later, a medical jet carrying a pediatric patient crashed in north Philadelphia, killing all six people on board and one person on the ground and injuring more than 20 others.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents “targeted” more than 100 members of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) in Aurora, Colorado, on Wednesday.

The federal agents — which included officials from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Customs and Border Protection, and the FBI — went door-to-door to speak to residents at an apartment complex in Aurora, ABC News reported. Aurora made headlines last year after a Republican city official sounded the alarm on TdA members taking over some apartment complexes in the Denver suburb.

ICE did not specify how many arrests were made at the complex, adding that the investigation is “ongoing.”

100+ members of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua were targeted for arrest and detention in Aurora, Colo., today by ICE and its partners @FBI @DEAHQ @CBP @ATFHQ & @USMarshalsHQ in an ongoing investigation. pic.twitter.com/LzIVDjsee6

— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) February 5, 2025

Fernando Martinez, a 54-year-old man who was not arrested in the raid, told USA Today that he was sleeping in one of his friend’s apartments at Cedar Run Apartments when ICE agents busted down the door.

“They come in with their guns drawn,” he said. “They flash banged me like three times.”

Acting Director Caleb Vitello said on Wednesday that the raid was necessary because local authorities are refusing to work with federal immigration agents.

“Unfortunately we have to come to the communities because we don’t get the cooperation that we need from the jails,” Vitello said. “It would be so much easier and so much safer for our officers and agents if we could take these people into custody from a safe environment. But if we have to come out in the community to do this, that’s what we’re going to do.”

Time and again, criminal aliens prey on their own communities with sanctuary policies, knowing they’re free to commit crimes without repercussion. ICE & its partners @FBI @DEAHQ @CBP @ATFHQ & @USMarshalsHQ are in Aurora, Colo., today to remove this very real public safety threat. pic.twitter.com/L0KtxySl0f

— ERO Denver (@ERODenver) February 5, 2025

After Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky brought attention to the gang’s activity in Aurora last August, Fox News obtained video showing armed men walking through an Aurora apartment building and entering an apartment after knocking on the door with guns drawn. Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis, however, dismissed the concerns over TdA taking over any apartments, saying the “purported invasion is largely a feature of Danielle Jurinsky’s imagination.”

President Donald Trump quickly ramped up arrests and deportations of violent illegal immigrants after being sworn into office on January 20, and it’s not the first time Aurora has been targeted in a large raid under the Trump administration. Last month, DEA agents busted nearly 50 members of associates of TdA at a makeshift nightclub in Aurora, where authorities seized drugs, weapons, and cash.

President Donald Trump signaled on Wednesday that he will seek a “Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement” with Iran that will prevent the country from developing nuclear weapons while allowing it to “grow and prosper.”

Trump posted about his goal on Truth Social after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday and saying at a press conference that the U.S. would take control of Gaza. The president also said in his social media post that he has no intention of taking extreme military action against Iran.

“I want Iran to be a great and successful Country, but one that cannot have a Nuclear Weapon,” Trump wrote. “Reports that the United States, working in conjunction with Israel, is going to blow Iran into smithereens, ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED. I would much prefer a Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement, which will let Iran peacefully grow and prosper. We should start working on it immediately, and have a big Middle East Celebration when it is signed and completed. God Bless the Middle East!”

With his post, Trump appears to be opening the door for Iran to come to the negotiating table after he signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum on Tuesday to apply “maximum pressure” on the U.S. nemesis and deny “Iran all paths to a nuclear weapon.”

On Tuesday, Trump also told reporters in the Oval Office that he “left instructions” for how the U.S. should respond if Iran assassinates him. Trump said it “would be a terrible thing for them to do” because “they would be obliterated.” The president also shot back at a reporter who claimed that Netanyahu “wants” the U.S. to “strike Iran.”

“You don’t know what he wants,” Trump replied. “What do you know about anything?”

While the president said he wants to pursue peaceful negotiations with Iran, he suggested that he might use U.S. troops to take control of Gaza, adding that long-term ownership of Gaza is a possibility.

“I think we will be a great keeper of something that is very, very strong, very powerful, and very, very good for the area, not just for Israel, for the entire Middle East,” Trump said. “There will be jobs for everyone.”

“Everyone I have spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land, developing and creating thousands of jobs with something that will be magnificent,” he added.

Trump’s remarks on Tuesday came after he campaigned on ending America’s foreign entanglements. Trump also said during his inaugural address that his foreign policy success will be measured “perhaps most importantly [by] the wars we never get into.”

President Donald Trump will impose tariffs on China, Canada, and Mexico beginning Saturday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Friday afternoon.

Leavitt said that Trump will hit Canada and Mexico with 25% tariffs and impose a 10% tariff on China. After he was elected in November, Trump promised to impose tariffs on the three countries unless they ended the flow of illegal drugs and unlawful migration into the U.S.

“These are promises made and promises kept by the president,” Leavitt said. She added that the tariff on China is “for the illegal fentanyl that they have sourced and allowed to distribute into our country, which has killed tens of millions of Americans.”

The White House press secretary did not detail if any products will be exempt from the tariffs but said that details would be available for the public to read in 24 hours. Immediately after the tariff announcement, the Dow Jones dropped 0.5%, the S&P 500 dropped o.2%, while the Nasdaq Composite remained on a positive trend, CNBC reported. Canada and Mexico have threatened to retaliate with tariffs if Trump made good on his threat.

“We’re ready with a response, a purposeful, forceful but reasonable, immediate response,” outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday, according to the Associated Press. “It’s not what we want, but if he moves forward, we will also act.”

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that her country has multiple plans if Trump imposes the tariffs.

“Now it is very important that the Mexican people know that we are always going to defend the dignity of our people, we are always going to defend the respect of our sovereignty and a dialogue between equals, as we have always said, without subordination,” she said.

Trump warned in November that he would impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico “until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!”

“Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem. We hereby demand that they use this power, and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!” Trump said at the time.

After Trump’s tariff threats,  Trudeau met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago to discuss the issue. During that meeting, Trump reportedly told the Canadian leader that if his country couldn’t afford to pay a potential tariff, it should consider becoming the 51st state. Weeks later, amid brutal poll numbers for Trudeau, the prime minister announced that he would be stepping down.

The Democratic National Committee chair forum quickly turned into a cringefest on Thursday night when protesters started controlling the questions, a candidate broke out into song, and every candidate agreed that former Vice President Kamala Harris lost because of “racism and misogyny.”

The forum at Georgetown University was hosted by MSNBC and three of the network’s most leftist hosts: Jen Psaki, Symone Sanders, and Jonathan Capehart. In between the outbursts of climate change protesters, eight candidates attempted to put their vision forward for a party that was blown out in the 2024 election.

It didn’t take long, however, for the forum to give way to some strange moments.

One candidate breaks into a song for her opening statement.

Dr. Quintessa Hathaway of Arkansas told the audience she wanted to give them “something that’s been on [her] heart here over the last couple days.” Hathaway then began singing, “You fight on, you fight on, you fight on. When your government is doing you wrong, you fight on.” When Hathaway finished her song, a few sympathy claps broke out in the audience.

WATCH:

Climate protesters derail the forum from the beginning.

It took no time for leftist climate change protesters to disrupt the forum. Immediately after MSNBC host Symone Sanders told the candidates, “I’m going to kick off our questioning tonight,” the climate activists started shouting questions, and Sanders struggled to regain control of the conversation.

WATCH:

Every candidate agrees that Kamala Harris lost because of “racism and misogyny.”

When journalist Jonathan Capehart asked the candidates about “racism and misogyny” depriving Harris of an election victory, everyone quickly raised their hands in agreement.

Republicans and conservative political commentators had some fun with the moment, pointing out that Democrats refuse to change their message despite the American people clearly stating that they’re fed up with the overused talking points.

WATCH:

A former DHS official says the Republican Party is “the biggest threat to national security.”

Speaking of overused talking points, one DNC chair candidate, Nate Snyder, doubled down on the argument that Trump and the Republican Party represent “the biggest threat” to American national security.

“We need to push back with everything we got, and my intention is to disrupt, dismantle this propaganda lying machine,” Snyder, who used to work for the Department of Homeland Security, said of the Trump administration.

WATCH:

Symone Sanders lets leftist protesters control the questioning.

Sanders was again interrupted by protesters later in the forum, one of whom shouted, “Democrats are still taking money from the arsonists!” while Sanders was attempting to move on to a new topic. Sanders then caved to the leftists shouting about the “climate emergency,” telling them, “Okay, let’s talk about the climate emergency … we’re going to skip ahead. Jen Psaki is going to ask about the climate. Let’s go.”

WATCH:

Another candidate claims that social media algorithms favor Republicans and ‘push down’ Democratic narratives.

With a straight face, Ben Wikler, the chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, claimed that “thumbs on the scale” are likely “trying to push down Democratic narratives” and “lift up Republican narratives.” Of course, none of the MSNBC journalists nor Wikler mentioned how the opposite was true when the Biden administration pressured social media companies like Twitter and Facebook to censor conservative voices.

WATCH:

Every candidate for Democratic National Committee chair agreed on Thursday that “racism and misogyny played a role” in former Vice President Kamala Harris’ election defeat.

Eight DNC chair candidates, including former presidential candidate Marianne Williamson and former Social Security Administration Commissioner Martin O’Malley, were part of an MSNBC forum at Georgetown University, where they answered various questions from network hosts Jen Psaki, Symone Sanders, and Jonathan Capehart. After a question from Capehart for all the candidates, each agreed that Harris lost to President Donald Trump partly because of a culture of racism and misogyny.

“So, I’m going to have a show of hands. How many of you believe that racism and misogyny played a role in Vice President Harris’ defeat?” Capehart asked.

Every candidate quickly raised their hands as did the audience members.

“That’s good. You all passed,” Capehart said.

WATCH:

Republicans and political commentators blasted the DNC chair candidates’ response to Capehart’s question. More than 77 million Americans voted for Trump over Harris in 2024, including a shift from Hispanic and black men in Trump’s favor. Trump also made gains among young women in his election victory over Harris.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) wrote on X, “I’m already looking forward to expanding our majority in 2026.”

“I endorse this post-mortem analysis and encourage my democratic friends to double or even triple down,” quipped CNN pundit Scott Jennings.

Conservative columnist Marc Thiessen joked, “No idea why they lost.”

Throughout the forum, some candidates berated Trump and the Republican Party, claiming they were threats to the country. The DNC chair will be elected by members on Saturday. Outgoing chairman Jaimie Harrison announced he would not run for another term after Democrats lost the White House and control of the Senate after the November election.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Thursday morning that a “fairly experienced” crew was on the Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided with an American Airlines flight near Washington, D.C., Wednesday night before both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River.

Sixty-four people, including passengers and crew, were on board American Airlines Flight 5342, a regional jet that was preparing to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when it collided with the military helicopter. Authorities said Thursday morning that they believe no one survived the crash and have switched rescue efforts to recovery efforts. Responders have recovered at least 28 bodies from the Potomac River.

Hegseth said the three soldiers on the Black Hawk helicopter were conducting an “annual proficiency training flight” and were wearing night-vision goggles.

“The Army unit involved was Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, at Fort Belvoir,” Hegseth said. “It was an annual proficiency training flight, and when we look at the crew, not all kin have been notified, so we’re going to withhold ranks and names at this point. We do know, on our side, who was involved.”

The Department of Defense has deployed an investigation team to look into the crash, according to Hegseth, who said investigators will come up with answers “quickly.”

“We anticipate that the investigation will be able to quickly determine whether the aircraft was in the corridor and at the right altitude at the time of the incident,” he said, adding, “It’s a tragedy. A horrible loss of life for those sixty-four souls on that civilian airliner, and of course the three soldiers in that Black Hawk. They’re in our prayers.”

Hegseth also addressed the media at the White House during a press briefing with President Donald Trump. During the briefing, Trump ripped the diversity, equity, and inclusion policies instituted by the Biden administration, and Hegseth assured that under the Trump administration, the “era of DEI is gone at the Defense Department,” saying the DOD will focus on putting the “best and brightest” in “every position possible.” He added that their standards will be “color-blind and merit-based.”

The Reagan Washington National Airport and surrounding area have some of the busiest air traffic in the country as military and government helicopters often fly near inbound and outbound commercial flights. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said Thursday morning that the crash was “absolutely” preventable.

Duffy’s comments came after Trump addressed the crash in a late-night Truth Social post, writing, “The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!”

Wednesday’s deadly crash marked the first major commercial airline crash in the U.S. since 2009, when a Colgan Air flight crashed as it was landing at Buffalo Niagara International Airport. All 49 people aboard that plane were killed.

Leif Le Mahieu contributed to this report. 

As the second Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress hit the ground running, the Democratic Party has a brutal net approval rating of -26, a new poll from Quinnipiac revealed on Wednesday.

The poll, which surveyed over 1,000 registered voters from January 23-27, found that only 31% of respondents have a favorable view of the Democratic Party while 57% have an unfavorable view. Among independents, the numbers get worse, as only 22% have a favorable view of the Democratic Party.

The Republican Party was also in the net negative favorability rating, but nowhere close to as far underwater as the Democrats. The Republicans hold a 43% favorable rating while 45% of respondents had an unfavorable opinion of the GOP, according to the poll. Thirty-six percent of independents view the GOP favorably.

President Donald Trump enjoys a positive favorability rating — 47% said they have a favorable opinion of Trump and 45% said they have an unfavorable opinion of him. Forty-six percent of voters approve of what Trump is doing in his first days in office, which is 10 points higher than it was at the beginning of his first term, according to Quinnipiac.

For Vice President JD Vance, many respondents (23%) said they “haven’t heard enough” about him to have an opinion, but of those who answered, 39% found him favorable and 36% had an unfavorable opinion of him.

A majority of Americans (60%) also approve of Trump’s decision to send troops to the southern border to stop the flow of migrants illegally entering the U.S., and 44% of respondents support deporting all illegal immigrants. Overall, Americans are optimistic about the future of the country under Trump. Fifty-four percent of respondents said they are optimistic about Trump’s second term compared to 42% who said they’re pessimistic.

The Quinnipiac poll isn’t the only one to show Trump with a positive approval rating in his first week. Economist/YouGov and Rasmussen Reports surveys also show Trump enjoying +4 and +7 net approval ratings, respectively. The approval ratings for Trump at the beginning of this term are a stark contrast to the ratings he received throughout his first term when he was consistently underwater by at least 10 points, according to the RealClearPolitics average.