Fetterman bucks Democrats, says party put politics over country in DHS shutdown standoff
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., the lone Senate Democrat to join the GOP to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), accused his colleagues of choosing party over country in their shutdown vote. Senate Democrats dug their heels in against funding the agency on Thursday in their pursuit of stringent reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), following the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good during immigration operations in Minnesota. But Fetterman believed that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his party were missing the point. GOVERNMENT TO SHUT DOWN AT MIDNIGHT AFTER DEMS, WHITE HOUSE FAIL TO STRIKE DHS DEAL “This shutdown literally has zero impact on ICE functionality,” Fetterman said in a post on X. “Country over party is refusing to hit the entire Department of Homeland Security. Democracy demands a way forward to reform ICE without damaging our critical national security agencies.” Senate Democrats’ refusal to fund DHS this week has made a partial government shutdown affecting only DHS inevitable. The deadline to strike a deal is midnight Friday, and the likelihood of that happening is nearly nonexistent. That’s because both chambers of Congress quickly fled Washington, D.C., on Thursday, with many in the upper chamber leaving the country altogether for the Munich Security Conference in Germany. DHS SHUTDOWN EXPLAINED: WHO WORKS WITHOUT PAY, WHAT HAPPENS TO AIRPORTS AND DISASTER RESPONSE Schumer and his caucus argued that the White House and Republicans weren’t serious about reforms to ICE or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and contended that the GOP’s counteroffer to their own list of demands didn’t go far enough to earn their votes. But to Fetterman’s point, shutting down DHS won’t halt the cash flow to immigration operations. That’s because congressional Republicans last year injected roughly $75 billion into the agency for ICE with President Donald Trump’s marquee “big, beautiful bill.” That money is spread across the next four years, meaning that a shutdown now will have little, if any, effect on ICE’s core functions. DEMS DIG IN, GUARANTEE SHUTDOWN WITH BLOCK OF DHS FUNDING But other functions under DHS’ purview, like TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard and more, will experience the brunt of the partial shutdown. Negotiations on striking a deal are expected to continue in the background, and Senate Democrats have signaled that they’re considering offering a counteroffer to the White House in response to the GOP proposal. Still, a vote to reopen and fund the agency won’t happen until early next week at best.
Trump DOJ files new lawsuit accusing Harvard of withholding records on race in admissions
The U.S. Department of Justice announced that its Civil Rights Division lodged a new lawsuit against Harvard University, alleging that the Ivy League institution illegally withheld admissions material needed to decide whether the school is continuing to discriminate in the admissions process despite a 2023 Supreme Court ruling. “Under President Trump’s leadership, this Department of Justice is demanding better from our nation’s educational institutions,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “Harvard has failed to disclose the data we need to ensure that its admissions are free of discrimination — we will continue fighting to put merit over DEI across America.” Fox News Digital reached out to Harvard for comment on Friday. TRUMP SEEKS $1 BILLION IN DAMAGES FROM HARVARD UNIVERSITY OVER ‘SERIOUS AND HEINOUS ILLEGALITIES’ The suit was filed on Thursday, according to the DOJ. “The lawsuit alleges that Harvard repeatedly slow-walked the pace of production and refused to produce pertinent data and documents requested by the DOJ, including individualized applicant admissions data, admissions policies, and correspondence related to race; ethnicity; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and Students for Fair Admissions,” the DOJ’s press release explains. “The suit alleges that Harvard — a recipient of DOJ funding — violated Title VI by failing to comply with the DOJ’s request for sufficient document production for compliance review. The suit also notes that by failing to make timely and complete document productions or otherwise permitting the DOJ to access Harvard’s applicant-level admissions data, Harvard breached a material term of DOJ federal financial assistance,” the release notes. HEGSETH ENDING MILITARY EDUCATION TIES WITH HARVARD AMID TRUMP FEUD: ‘WE TRAIN WARRIORS, NOT WOKESTERS’ The suit aims to force the school to turn over documents pertaining to the consideration of race in admissions, but “does not accuse Harvard of racial discrimination,” according to the DOJ. In a 2023 ruling, the Supreme Court objected to Harvard’s and the University of North Carolina’s consideration of race in admissions. “For the reasons provided above, the Harvard and UNC admissions programs cannot be reconciled with the guarantees of the Equal Protection Clause. Both programs lack sufficiently focused and measurable objectives warranting the use of race, unavoidably employ race in a negative manner, involve racial stereotyping, and lack meaningful end points. We have never permitted admissions programs to work in that way, and we will not do so today,” the opinion declared. HARVARD SLASHES A GRADES BY NEARLY 7 PERCENTAGE POINTS AFTER FACULTY CRACKDOWN ON GRADE INFLATION CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The Justice Department will not allow universities to flout our nation’s federal civil rights laws by refusing to provide the information required for our review,” Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division Harmeet K. Dhillon noted in a statement. “Providing requested data is a basic expectation of any credible compliance process, and refusal to cooperate creates concerns about university practices. If Harvard has stopped discriminating, it should happily share the data necessary to prove it,” she added.
Battleground states shoulder burden of Trump’s tariffs as midterm messaging ramps up
Some of the most hotly contested states in this year’s elections are also footing the nation’s steepest tariff bills, according to an analysis of U.S. Census trade data. That convergence creates a new economic pressure point at a time when affordability dominates the national midterm debate and the cost of everyday goods remains a top voter concern. Candidates in both parties are campaigning on promises to rein in the cost of groceries, housing and other everyday goods. All 435 House seats and 33 Senate seats are on the ballot this year, putting Republicans’ slim majorities at risk. Democrats need four seats to reclaim the Senate, while Republicans can afford to lose just two in the House. US TARIFF REVENUE UP 300% UNDER TRUMP AS SUPREME COURT BATTLE LOOMS Tariffs factor directly into those costs. Tariffs are taxes the federal government places on imported goods. While American importers pay those duties at the border, economists say businesses often pass the added costs along, raising prices as the expense moves through supply chains. California and Texas — the nation’s two largest state economies — top the list in tariff totals at $38 billion and $21 billion, driven by the volume of imports flowing through major ports and industrial supply chains. Among the states with the most consequential Senate races are Georgia and Michigan, both of which carry sizable tariff burdens, underscoring how deeply their economies are intertwined with international trade. Other states bearing the brunt of hefty tariff bills include Illinois ($9.6 billion), Ohio ($6.5 billion), Pennsylvania ($6.3 billion), North Carolina ($5 billion), South Carolina ($5.2 billion) and Kentucky ($4 billion). Even as states shoulder billions in tariff costs, collections nationwide have climbed 300% since President Donald Trump’s return to office, significantly boosting federal revenue. January collections hit $30.4 billion, a 275% jump from a year earlier, pushing fiscal-year revenue to $124 billion, more than triple last year’s pace. TRUMP CALLS TARIFF WINDFALL ‘SO BEAUTIFUL TO SEE’ AS CASH SAILS IN The surge in revenue has become a cornerstone of Trump’s economic agenda, with the administration arguing tariffs can fund domestic priorities, chip away at the nation’s $38 trillion debt and finance a proposed $2,000 dividend check for Americans. Trump has promoted the policy as a strategy to revive domestic industry and extract concessions from foreign trading partners. But the policy faces a pivotal test at the Supreme Court, which has yet to rule on whether the tariffs fall within Trump’s authority. A decision against the government could jeopardize a key source of federal revenue and reshape the administration’s trade strategy. With billions in revenue at stake and control of Congress hanging in the balance, the court’s ruling could reverberate far beyond Washington.
Government to shut down at midnight after Dems, White House fail to strike DHS deal
With little time and no deal in sight to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a partial government shutdown by midnight is all but guaranteed. The battle to prevent the third government shutdown under President Donald Trump in less than six months was lost in the Senate on Thursday. Now, with Congress scattered across the U.S. and several senators headed abroad, there’s no chance that a shutdown will be averted. Senate Republicans were unable to smash through Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Democrats’ unified front to pass a full-year DHS funding bill, nor were they able to do yet another short-term, two-week extension. DHS SHUTDOWN EXPLAINED: WHO WORKS WITHOUT PAY, WHAT HAPPENS TO AIRPORTS AND DISASTER RESPONSE “The idea of not even allowing us to have an extended amount of time to negotiate this suggests to me, at least, that there isn’t a high level of interest in actually solving this issue,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said. The final fight on the floor Thursday wasn’t with every lawmaker present, but between Sens. Katie Britt, R-Ala., and Chris Murphy, D-Conn., over giving lawmakers a little more time to keep the agency open while negotiations continue. Senate Democrats argued that Republicans offered their legislative proposal in the dead of night, giving little time to actually move toward a compromise. DEMS DIG IN, GUARANTEE SHUTDOWN WITH BLOCK OF DHS FUNDING “We had plenty of time to get a deal in the last two weeks,” Murphy said. “And the lack of seriousness from the White House and from Republicans not getting language until last night has put us in the position we are in today.” And with the expected shutdown, Democrats’ main targets — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) — won’t see their cash flow dry up because of billions injected into the agency by Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” Instead, agencies like TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard and several others will suffer the brunt of the shutdown. “There is no way that you can’t say we’re working in good faith. We want to continue this conversation,” Britt said on the Senate floor. “But yet you’re penalizing a TSA agent. A TSA agent is going to go without a paycheck. Why? So that you can posture politically? I’m over it.” DHS FUNDING BILL FAILS AFTER SCHUMER REJECTS TRUMP’S ICE REFORM OFFER “Everybody on that side of the aisle knows that ICE and CBP will continue to be funded,” she continued. “They’re going to continue to enforce the law just as they should. Who’s going to pay the price?” The final floor argument was a microcosm of what the week had devolved into. Senate Republicans argued that Democrats had burned too much time producing their list of demands, while Senate Democrats contended that they weren’t given enough time by the White House. And as is typical during the string of shutdowns in the last several months, it has devolved into a public blame game. When asked about the effects a shutdown would have on the agencies not involved in immigration enforcement, Schumer pointed the finger at the GOP and the White House. “Talk to the Republicans, OK? We’re ready to fund everything,” Schumer said. “We’re ready to have good, serious proposals supported by the American people. They’re not; they’re sort of dug in the ground, and they’re not moving forward.” But neither side is willing to divulge publicly what the exact sticking points are in their ongoing negotiations. And Senate Democrats now appear to be considering a counteroffer to the White House, a sign that negotiations aren’t totally dead in the water. “Negotiations will continue, and we will see in the course of the next few days how serious they are,” Thune said.
Manchester United fans condemn co-owner’s immigration comments
NewsFeed Manchester United supporter groups and ordinary fans have spoken out against comments by the club’s co-owner, billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, who said the UK has been ‘colonised’ by immigrants. Ratcliffe himself is an immigrant to Monaco, where he lives for tax reasons. Published On 13 Feb 202613 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
LIVE: Explosions in Gaza, 54 wounded in West Bank settler attacks
blinking-dotLive updatesLive updates, Explosions are reported in eastern Gaza City, while at least 54 Palestinians are wounded in attacks by Israeli settlers across the occupied West Bank today. Published On 13 Feb 202613 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Merz, Macron to address Munich Security Conference amid disputes with US
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will also address the conference. Listen to this article Listen to this article | 3 mins info German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron will deliver addresses on the first day of the Munich Security Conference (MSC), with Russia’s four-year war in Ukraine high on the agenda and amid strained ties between the United States and Europe. Merz will open the conference at 1:45pm local time (12:45 GMT), while his French counterpart will close Friday’s official programme with a speech at 7pm (18:00 GMT), according to the MSC agenda. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will also address the conference over the course of the day. They are among more than 60 heads of state and government and about 100 foreign and defence ministers who have descended on the Bavarian southern German city amid high security, with about 5,000 police deployed for the event. This year’s conference comes as relations between Europe and the US, their traditional allies and guarantors of the continent’s security for decades, are under immense pressure. Since returning to the White House last year, US President Donald Trump has frequently criticised European countries for not sharing enough of the burden on common defence. Ties plunged further last month when Trump stepped up threats to annex the Arctic island Greenland, an autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, forcing European nations to stand firm in protest, pushing back in a rare and concerted public rebuke of Washington. Top of the agenda are issues on which the US has been leading diplomatic efforts: not only Russia’s war in Ukraine but also Iran’s nuclear programme and Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, said Al Jazeera’s James Bays, reporting from Munich. Advertisement The mood ahead of this conference is “very different from years in the past,” said Bays. “Diplomats I’ve spoken to since I was in Munich a year ago talk about the Munich moment, when US Vice President JD Vance” used the occasion to criticise European policies on immigration and free speech, said Bays, adding: his behaviour was “such a contrast with the past, when this was quite a cosy gathering, celebrating the transatlantic alliance.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, “arguably a slightly more diplomatic figure” than Vance, arrived in Munich on Friday and will address the conference on Saturday, said Bays. Before departing for Germany, Rubio said that transatlantic ties faced a “defining moment” in a rapidly changing world. “The Old World is gone, frankly, the world I grew up in, and we live in a new era in geopolitics, and it’s going to require all of us to re-examine what that looks like and what our role is going to be,” he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also arrived on Friday and will speak at the annual gathering on Saturday, organisers said. Zelenskyy is expected to discuss security with a string of European allies, including Rubio and Merz, ahead of the next round of US-brokered talks with Russia, which the Kremlin said would resume next week. Adblock test (Why?)
Delhi: Schools receive bomb threat emails, premises evacuated; authorities on high alert
At least three Delhi schools received bomb threat emails on Friday morning, prompting evacuations and search operations. This follows earlier hoax threats to 13 Delhi schools and multiple schools in Punjab. Authorities are investigating the emails and tightening security measures.
Lucknow hit-and-run: Class 12 student, who mowed down 6-year-old, detained; CCTV footage emerges
In a horrific hit-and-run incident in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow, a speeding car driven by a minor mowed down pedestrians near a roadside food stall, killing a six-year-old child and leaving several others injured on Thursday evening. In the latest development, the driver, identified as Gaurav Singh, a Class-12 student, has been taken into custody.
Months after Karur stampede, man dies due to heatstroke at TVK chief Vijay’s rally in Salem
As per a report by news agency ANI, Salem police officials have identified the deceased man as Suraj, a 37-year-old from Maharashtra. “He had been residing in the Sevvaipettai area of Salem, where he was engaged in silver-related labour work,” officials said.