Saturday, February 21, 2026

The News Roundup – Domestic and International (The 1A) 2026-02-20

Domestic

The Department of Homeland Security issued a memo this week advising federal agents they should detain refugees and migrants who have not yet obtained a green card for an indefinite period of time for rescreening. This puts many people admitted to the U.S. during the Biden administration at risk.

Across the U.S., the mayors of major cities like Chicago and Los Angeles are taking steps to limit ICE’s ability to operate within their limits, vowing to prosecute agents who violate local laws.

And representatives for Meta and Google, including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, went to court this week over social media addiction.
Interview: 

International 

The Board of Peace met for the first time this week in Washington, with big pledges, but not a lot of details.

President Donald Trump says the world will find out “over the next, probably, 10 days” whether the US will reach a deal with Iran or take military action. In recent days, the U.S. has surged military forces to the region while progress was reported at talks between American and Iranian negotiators in Geneva, Switzerland.

Also this week, England’s former prince Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office in connection to his time spent with Jeffrey Epstein.
Interview: 



U2 - American Obituary (Lyric Video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3ziTSYyook

 

A bar, kitchen and flat-screen TVs: the $70m jet DHS is eyeing for deportations

The department is reportedly considering buying a Boeing plane for deportation flights and for use by Trump officials…

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/20/luxury-jet-dhs-deportation-flights-trump-officials


 

Random things you should know about the SAVE Act. #law #politics #saveact

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/CpDNBEZIEfQ

 

Trump loses faithful as protests mark Ash Wednesday

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lALhL_kDEF4

 

 

What Did You Do to Marco? | Paula Poundstone

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/_Bbq5mxf-s8

 

 

James Talarico Gives JD Vance a Bible Lesson | The Ezra Klein Show

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/NfYl-JXVPKE

 

Large Trump banner hung at justice department headquarters

'Make America Safe Again' banner put up in striking symbol of president's control over top US law-enforcement agency…


 

Supreme Court rules Trump's tariffs illegal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4PmR-bPMFk

 

Trump defends tariffs in pre-midterms appearance in battleground Georgia

Visit was ostensibly to promote economy, but US president focused on repeated, unverified claims of voter fraud…

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/19/trump-tariffs-georgia


 

New Mexico to reopen inquiry into Epstein’s ranch amid pressure campaign

The New Mexico department of justice's announcement came less than two weeks after the Guardian reported that federal agents did not appear to have ever searched Zorro Ranch...

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/20/new-mexico-epstein-zorro-ranch-investigation


 

“Our version of the truth” is not how medicine works. #medicine #science...

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/N1_sMfAiL5U

 

US envoy Mike Huckabee says it would be ‘fine’ if Israel took all Middle East land

Rightwing Trump ally tells Tucker Carlson Israel has biblical right to land from 'wadi of Egypt to the great river'…

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/20/mike-huckabee-israel-middle-east-tucker-carlson


 

Trump’s economy decelerated as shutdown, consumer spending drag on growth - POLITICO

In a separate release, Commerce reported that prices grew at an annual rate of 3 percent in December, excluding food and energy costs. That's a full percentage point above the Federal Reserve's inflation target. 

 Friday's double whammy of economic releases ends a string of positive employment and inflation reports that Trump and top White House officials had cited as proof of his agenda's success…

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/20/trumps-economy-decelerated-as-shutdown-consumer-spending-drag-on-growth-00790640 


 

Trump attacks Supreme Court justices after he is handed a major tariff loss - POLITICO

The president excoriated the court hours after its decision to strike down his tariffs...

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/20/donald-trump-tariff-supreme-court-reaction-00791245 


 

What happens to billions in tariff money already paid? Supreme Court leaves refunds unsettled. - POLITICO

The justices did not address the issue in their majority opinion striking down some of President Donald Trump's tariffs Friday, likely leaving it up to lower courts to resolve.

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/20/tariff-refunds-supreme-court-00791244  


Trump launches new 10 percent global tariff after Supreme Court ruling - POLITICO

The tariff, issued under a different authority than the one the Supreme Court just struck down, can last for 150 days...

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/20/donald-trump-10-percent-global-tariff-00791317


 

  

How to watch Trump's 2026 State of the Union | PBS News

President Donald Trump will deliver his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Feb. 24. Watch our coverage live, starting at 6 p.m. EST, in the video player on this page.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/how-to-watch-trumps-2026-state-of-the-union 

 

MAHA unleashes on White House after Trump backs pesticide - POLITICO

"Trump's executive order is nothing more than an attempt to protect one of the biggest producers of a toxic pesticide from legal liabilities," said Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) in a statement. "The message from this Administration is clear: chemical company profits are more important than your health."…

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/20/maha-unleashes-on-white-house-after-trump-backs-pesticide-00790187 


 

History Minute (100): A literacy test to vote

As mentioned earlier, Jim Crow laws in various states required that Black people pass a specially created literacy test in order to vote. This test was waived for White people, or they had a separate simpler one.

See here an example of a literacy test used in 1960 in the state of Louisiana: https://www.treeoflogic.com/literacy_test.htm

And here’s what Alabama used in 1965: https://secure.splcenter.org/page/67431/survey/1?locale=en-US

How well did you do on the tests?







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