US tariff revenue up 300% under Trump as Supreme Court battle looms
Tariff revenue has climbed 300% since President Donald Trump’s return to office, delivering a windfall to federal coffers even as the trade levies face a looming Supreme Court battle. In January alone, duties totaled $30.4 billion, up 275% from a year earlier. When looking at the entire fiscal year, revenue has reached $124 billion, a roughly 304% increase from the same period last year. The haul has become a cornerstone of Trump’s economic agenda, as the administration argues tariffs can generate revenue to fund domestic priorities, lower the nation’s eye-watering $38 trillion debt and deliver a $2,000 dividend check for Americans. TRUMP SAYS US WOULD BE ‘DESTROYED’ WITHOUT TARIFF REVENUE Tariffs function as a tax on imports, and in many cases U.S. importers absorb the upfront cost and then pass it along through higher prices for wholesalers, retailers and, ultimately, consumers. That means households and businesses may face increased costs for goods ranging from electronics to raw materials. Whether tariffs ultimately help or hurt the economy depends on how much of that burden consumers absorb, how domestic producers respond and whether the intended economic or geopolitical advantages are worth the added costs to consumers. With affordability a central concern for voters heading into the midterm elections, any policy that raises consumer prices is likely to face heightened political scrutiny. TRUMP SAYS TARIFF-FUNDED DIVIDEND PAYMENTS FOR AMERICANS WILL BEGIN NEXT YEAR Meanwhile, the nation’s highest court has yet to rule on whether Trump’s tariffs fall within his presidential authority. A ruling against the government could jeopardize a key source of federal revenue and reshape Trump’s trade policy. The cases before the Supreme Court stem from lawsuits filed by an educational toy manufacturer and a family-owned wine and spirits importer. TRUMP CALLS TARIFF WINDFALL ‘SO BEAUTIFUL TO SEE’ AS CASH SAILS IN The suits followed Trump’s so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs in April, a sweeping package of import duties he said would address trade imbalances and curb reliance on foreign goods. Revenue spiked in the months that followed, rising from $9.6 billion in March to $23.9 billion in May. For fiscal 2025, which ended Sept. 30, total duty collections reached $215.2 billion, Treasury figures show. The upward trend has extended into fiscal 2026, with receipts already outpacing last year.
Immigration once fueled Trump’s 2024 win — now sagging approval tests GOP grip on Congress
It was a top issue at the ballot box in 2024 that boosted President Donald Trump and Republicans to sweeping victories. But in the wake of new political backlash over Trump’s unprecedented illegal immigration crackdown, the latest polling on the issue raises warning signs for Republicans and suggests immigration may come back to take a bite out of the GOP in this year’s midterm elections, as the party defends its slim House and Senate majorities. National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina told Fox News Digital that when it comes to the issue of immigration, “I think it’s going to be very helpful for us going into the election.” But new polling — conducted before Thursday’s announcement that the Trump administration was winding down the massive deployment earlier this year of masked federal immigration agents in Minnesota, but after last month’s fatal shootings by those agents of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti — suggests otherwise. SIGNIFICANT DRAWDOWN: BORDER CZAR MAKES MAJOR IMMIGRATION ANNOUNCEMENT The president’s approval on immigration stands at 38% in an AP-NORC poll conducted Feb. 5-8. That’s a drop from 49% last March, just over a month into the president’s second term in the White House. A similar 38% gave the president a thumbs up on immigration in the most recent Quinnipiac University poll, which was in the field Jan. 29-Feb. 2. That’s down from 44% in mid-December. WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS NATIONAL POLLING SHOWS And Trump stood at 40% approval in the latest NBC News Decision Desk poll, a drop from 49% last April. The survey questioned respondents from Jan. 27-Feb. 6. And the most recent Fox News national poll, conducted Jan. 23–26, indicated the president’s approval on handling border security at 52%-47%, but his approval on immigration underwater at 45%-55%. A common theme in all these polls: while Republicans continue to strongly support the president and their party on immigration, independents are joining Democrats in strongly disapproving. The Trump administration announced on Thursday that it was unwinding its immigration operation in Minnesota, amid ongoing protests and continued opposition from top Democrats in the blue-leaning state. “A significant drawdown has already been underway this week, and will continue to the next week,” border czar Tom Homan said. But he added that “as a result of our efforts here, Minnesota is now less of a sanctuary state for criminals.” MORE THAN HALF SAY HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY KRISTI NOEM NEEDS TO GO: POLL Pointing to Trump’s swift actions a year ago, veteran Republican strategist Colin Reed noted that “shutting down the southern border was such a major accomplishment and achieved so quickly and effectively that many voters have forgotten just how bad things got under the Biden Administration.” “It’s an issue that resonated powerfully across the political spectrum, and one that should and can be a political tailwind heading into November,” he added. But Reed highlighted that “regardless of the cause, the recent events in Minnesota were not helpful to the White House or Republican brand, and they were wise to change course and bring down the temperature.” The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has highlighted the president’s sagging approval ratings on immigration and polls showing rising disenchantment with the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. DNC chair Ken Martin, in a statement Thursday to Fox News Digital, charged that the Trump administration had created “political theater, flooding communities with masked agents and creating a culture of fear where Americans across the country and across the political spectrum are afraid to go to the grocery store or to pick up their kids at school.” “Americans don’t support what ICE is doing, and the DNC will continue to hold this administration accountable, highlighting these horrendous assaults by ICE and marching towards the midterms to put a check on the abuses of this administration,” Martin emphasized. But Hudson is taking aim at what he calls a false narrative from the mainstream media. “There’s a whole lot of that coming out of the mainstream media right now, and it’s just not true,” he told Fox News Digital. “People are going to feel more secure at home because of these efforts. President Trump’s doing the right thing.” The new AP/NORC poll indicates Republicans with a slight edge over Democrats on the immigration issue. Asked if immigration will still be a winning issue in the midterms, the House GOP campaign chief said: “It’s a promise made, a promise kept, that we are getting these dangerous criminals out of your neighborhood.”
Trump administration threatens 7-Eleven partnership after federal agents denied service at Minneapolis store
FIRST ON FOX: The Trump administration demanded answers from 7-Eleven’s COO following an altercation where U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino and federal agents were denied service at a Minneapolis gas station in late January. Michael Lynch, deputy administrator of the General Services Administration, sent a letter to Doug Rosencrans, 7-Eleven’s COO, on Feb. 5 requesting any information from a potential internal investigation into the altercation. Lynch noted that a federal government partnership could be in jeopardy between the Trump administration and the world’s largest international chain of convenience stores. “As 7-Eleven, Inc./Speedway LLC locations accept the GSA SmartPay fleet card for fuel and other authorized purchases on behalf of Federal fleets —i ncluding those operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security — these actions raise concerns about the ability of Federal vehicle operators to access necessary fuel and services at convenient locations,” the letter reads. DEPUTY AG DETAILS ‘MASSIVE UNDERGROUND FRAUD NETWORK’ ALLEGEDLY BEHIND MINNEAPOLIS ANTI-ICE PUSH A viral video captured by conservative activist Cam Higby posted on Jan. 21 shows Bovino leaving a Speedway gas station, a chain which is owned by parent company 7-Eleven, followed by a manager who said, “I don’t support ICE, and nobody here does.” GSA said in the letter that “the reported refusal appears to have encompassed both in-store purchases and potential fuel transactions.” According to the GSA’s website, the Fleet Card is issued “to pay for fuel and maintenance for your GSA Fleet-leased vehicle,” and says the card is accepted at 95% of U.S. fuel stations in all 50 states, U.S. territories and Canada. CONSERVATIVE IMMIGRATION EXPERTS SPLIT ON WHETHER TRUMP IS ‘BACKING DOWN’ IN MN ICE FIGHT It is a mandatory requirement for all non-tactical federal vehicles to be purchased through the GSA’s Fleet program. GSA also requested information related to training or policies that 7-Eleven has regarding the acceptance of fleet cards. The denial is just one of many from venues whose owners and managers have tied their personal, political views to their businesses. Earlier this year, the GSA removed a Hampton Inn Lakeville in Minneapolis from the list of approved lodging locations for federal employees after immigration agents were denied stay even after Hilton’s corporate leadership said the issue had been resolved. FROM OBAMA AWARD TO MINNESOTA OP: WHY TRUMP TAPPED TOM HOMAN FOR ON-THE-GROUND CRACKDOWN A McDonald’s in downtown Minneapolis also brandished a sign on the front door saying ICE and CBP agents were not welcome at the fast-food restaurant. McDonald’s corporate arm later told Fox News Digital that it had instructed the franchisee to remove it. At one restaurant near the site near where Renee Good was killed, a sign denying immigration agents was bright and bold on the front door, and employees inside the breakfast spot were wearing clothing with anti-ICE messaging. While 7-Eleven did not respond to Fox News Digital’s inquiry regarding the letter from the Trump administration requesting information, the GSA noted that it would consider stripping the massive chain of its Fleet program partnership. “GSA values its partnerships with merchants who support Federal operations and appreciates your prompt attention to this inquiry,” the agency said in the letter. “Timely cooperation will assist in determining whether any program-related actions are warranted and in ensuring continued reliable service for Federal fleets.”
DHS shutdown looms as Johnson navigates GOP divide over stopgap solutions
A partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is all but guaranteed unless the Senate rams through a short-term extension of current funding levels sometime on Thursday. But avoiding a DHS shutdown means the same measure must also pass the House of Representatives, where success will depend on delicate political maneuvering by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to persuade a House Republican Conference with varying ideas of what a path forward should look like. “It would have to be for 60 or 90 days, I would think,” said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. “I don’t know what’s going to happen in 30 days, I don’t know what’s going to change.” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is expected to unveil a stopgap funding measure for DHS called a continuing resolution (CR), which would extend the department’s current budget for a yet-unknown amount of time. ICE SHUTDOWN FIGHT MIGHT RESTRICT FEMA, COAST GUARD TO ‘LIFE-THREATENING’ EMERGENCIES It comes after Democrats walked away en masse from a bipartisan deal to fund DHS through the end of fiscal year (FY) 2026 over what they saw as insufficient guardrails on agencies responsible for President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis and elsewhere. Congress has funded 97% of the federal government through FY2026 at this point. But DHS is a vast department with a broad jurisdiction that includes the U.S. Coast Guard, the Secret Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) — all of which will see varying levels of disruptions if a shutdown happens. Republicans largely want to avoid such a situation but have made clear they believe that its effects would fall squarely on Democrats’ shoulders. DEMOCRATS SPLIT ON SHIELDING COAST GUARD, SECRET SERVICE AS DHS SHUTDOWN THREAT NEARS Conservatives like Norman favor an extended CR, arguing that it would fund Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at a higher level than the initial bipartisan funding deal would have while removing Democrats’ negotiating leverage for more guardrails on those agents. House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., told Fox News Digital last week that he would support a full-year CR for DHS to “make sure that FEMA is funded and TSA is funded, and stop the drama.” Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., similarly said on Wednesday, “I think we’d like to push it out as far as we can so we can avoid the constant uncertainty for the agency.” THUNE BLASTS JEFFRIES, SCHUMER AS ‘AFRAID OF THEIR SHADOWS’ AS DHS FUNDING FIGHT HEATS UP “As long as this hangs up in the air, let’s say you do it for three, four months, the Democrats are gonna want a pound of flesh to help pass whatever it is. And I think that’s gonna weaken the efforts of … immigration enforcement,” Crane told Fox News Digital. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., told reporters earlier this week that he would favor a mid-length CR over something shorter. “If we do two weeks and they leave for a week, it’s really a one-week CR. Nothing’s going to happen when that many important people are gone. So I think four weeks makes a lot more sense,” Cole said. But committee member Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla., panned the idea of a CR altogether. “CRs don’t work. CRs are not without pain. It disrupts a lot of your supply chain and purchasing and acquisition,” he told Fox News Digital. “I can’t believe they’re even thinking about it.” Rutherford, a former sheriff, argued that a shutdown or CR would harm critical national security operations during a year that’s expected to see a host of high-security events in the U.S. like America’s 250th anniversary celebration, the FIFA World Cup and others. Johnson declined to share his thoughts on CR length when asked by Fox News Digital on Tuesday, but emphasized the House GOP’s position that the Senate should take up the bipartisan bill that Democrats initially walked away from. “I’m not going to prejudge the length of it or what it should be. I’m very hopeful. I mean, we still have time on the clock. When there’s a will, there’s a way. And if they can come to an agreement on this and get it done, that will behoove the whole country,” Johnson said. House GOP leaders will likely need nearly all Republicans on board to pass a CR for DHS, with many Democrats warning they will not support any funding for the department without seeing proof of critical reform. Jeffries would not go into specifics about what he would support or oppose in terms of DHS funding during his weekly press conference on Monday, but he suggested to reporters that a simple stopgap funding bill with no changes to ICE funding was out of the question. “ICE is out of control right now. The American people know it, and ICE clearly needs to be reined in,” Jeffries said. “Our position has been clear. Dramatic changes are needed at the Department of Homeland Security before a DHS funding bill moves forward. Period. Full stop.”
Harris praises Minneapolis resistance to immigration enforcement as ‘beautiful example’ for country
Former Vice President Kamala Harris said Minneapolis’ resistance to recent immigration enforcement efforts “is such a beautiful example” for the United States. Harris made the remark Wednesday night during a stop of her book tour at the Macon City Auditorium in Georgia, where she also said, “There are moments where we just must be intolerant and say we’re not having that.” “In Minnesota, in what we’ve been seeing in Minneapolis, is such a beautiful example. To your point, look at what’s been happening where folks in the community, who don’t necessarily know each other. They’re coming out with their whistles and blowing their whistles to alert people in the community about what might be happening that is a threat to the members of the community, they’re pulling out their smartphones, their cell phones, and they’re taking the video, and they’re looking out for their neighbors,” Harris told a crowd of about 300 attendees. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment. REPUBLICAN LAWMAKER SHOCKED AFTER ANTI-ICE SHERIFF WAS STUMPED BY ‘FIFTH-GRADE CIVICS’ QUESTION Harris also said at one point during the event that she was there to “advocate intolerance.” “And in this moment, where so many people are rightly and understandably feeling fear and anxiety, we got to take back our power. We got to take back our power and, and I’m seeing increasingly that, I think, after the shock of witnessing some of the stuff that we’ve been seeing is wearing off, people are kind of done,” Harris said. “They’re like, ‘I’m just, I’m not going to tolerate this.’ And I am here to advocate intolerance. We teach intolerance for so many good reasons about so many things, and we must maintain that. But you understand what I’m saying, there are moments where we just must be intolerant and say we’re not having that,” she added. HOMELAND SECURITY HAMMERS DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR’S PORTAL TO TRACK ICE AGENTS Harris spoke for more than an hour, discussing a range of topics including her upbringing, the current political landscape and what the future holds for her. While she never mentioned President Donald Trump by name, she referenced him several times, referring to “him,” “this man” and “this administration.” Harris also said it is “critically important that we stand up and fight for the principles that we hold deep and the ideals upon which we were founded.” Fox News’ Andre Tinoco contributed to this report.
Homan announces Operation Metro Surge to conclude in Minnesota
President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday that the administration will conclude Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota. Homan told reporters during a news conference at the Bishop Whipple Federal in Minneapolis that the operation succeeded in reducing public safety threats with “unprecedented levels of coordination” from state officials and local law enforcement. “As a result of our efforts here, Minnesota is now less of a sanctuary state for criminals,” Homan said. “I have proposed, and President Trump has concurred, that this surge operation conclude,” he continued. WHITE HOUSE REAFFIRMS ANY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CAN BE DEPORTED AS TRUMP TEAM ZEROES IN ON ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ Homan said “a significant drawdown” of immigration agents was already underway, and will continue through next week. The border czar announced last week that 700 federal officers would leave Minnesota, though 2,000 officers will remain. He cited improved cooperation with jails and said a complete drawdown was the goal, but it was “contingent upon the end of illegal and threatening activities against ICE.” Homan said Thursday that a “small footprint of personnel” will remain for a period of time, while he will also remain on the ground to oversee the operation’s drawdown and success. FEDS SHIFT TO TARGETED IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT IN MINNEAPOLIS UNDER HOMAN “Additionally, federal government personnel assigned to conduct criminal investigations into the agitators, as well as the personnel assigned here for the fraud investigations, will remain in place until the work is done,” Homan said. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, told reporters later Thursday that he had spoken with Homan following the news conference, saying that Homan assured him that federal agents would be leaving. “We will help you get to the airport. We will clear the roads to get you to the airport,” Walz said. “I will come over and pack your damn bags if that’s what it takes.” Federal authorities say the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweeps focused on the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area have led to the arrest of more than 4,000 people. Homan took over the Minnesota operation in late January after the second fatal shooting by federal immigration agents and amid growing political backlash and questions about how the operation was being run. Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf and Fox News’ Brooke Taylor, along with The Associated Press contributed to this report.
DEI, climate agenda advanced through progressive-backed lawsuits, new report claims
EXCLUSIVE: A new report from Alliance for Consumers (AFC) argues that progressive, often climate-change-related, activism and aligned trial lawyers are increasingly using lawsuits not to win big dollars but big changes. Since the waning years of the Obama administration, AFC said that courtrooms have become the “battleground” for the political left’s campaign to “reshape American society” through “strategic litigation.” AFC analyzed employment discrimination cases, environmental suits and corporate governance litigation and found that the outcomes, or sought-after outcomes, demonstrated a pattern of courtroom strategy meant to deliver policy changes that the left has been unable to achieve through state or federal legislation — particularly regarding DEI and climate. “If you really want to understand a substantial portion of why corporate America went really woke, there’s a story that can be told,” O.H. Skinner, AFC’s executive director, told Fox News Digital. CONSERVATIVE LEGAL GROUP TARGETS CFPB RULE MANDATING RACE, SEX DATA IN HOME LOANS Skinner said that corporate America believed President Barack Obama would be followed by “President Hillary Clinton” — demonstrating continuity in many of these policy fields — leading to people leaving civil service jobs to join corporate HR and legal departments and bring their policy goals with them. He alleged that officials in Washington signaled companies could face scrutiny if they did not align with emerging DEI priorities. “That’s describing a world where through government lawsuits, but also through private lawsuits, a lot of pressure was being brought on corporate America,” said Skinner, whose previous work included time with the Arizona attorney general’s office under Mark Brnovich, who led the state’s largest consumer-protection lawsuit against Google over location tracking. JUDICIAL RESEARCH CENTER CUTS CLIMATE SECTION FROM JUDGES’ MANUAL AFTER FOX NEWS DIGITAL REPORT Skinner compared the strategy to “plaintiff-shopping” in class-action litigation, where a firm may be paid millions in settlement while it “negotiates a coupon for you” for the applicant-plaintiffs. One of the firms cited in the study — which Skinner noted as alleged proof of its political persuasions — had filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump and former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani on behalf of Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., citing the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 after Jan. 6. AFC’s report cited a 2019 shareholder-derivative suit brought by Cohen-Milstein against Alphabet — Google’s parent — on behalf of New York union pensioners, alleging it breached fiduciary duties and covered up a data breach and sexual harassment allegations. The statement from Cohen-Milstein on the suit alleged Alphabet “fostered” a misogynistic “‘brogrammer’ culture,” and later celebrated the settlement “fundamentally altering Alphabet’s workforce policies,” including a $310 million “financial commitment to DEI initiatives” and its position toward “workplace equity.” AFC found the lawsuit “functioned as a tool for advocacy groups to push a comprehensive expansion of the DEI agenda at one of the biggest companies with a massive budgetary commitment, all through litigation rather than legislative action or shareholder demand.” Cohen-Milstein did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. JIM JORDAN PRESSED TO SUBPOENA CLIMATE GROUP ACCUSED OF ‘JUDICIAL MANIPULATION’ Skinner’s team also cited a case in which the Obama Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) allegedly did an end run around legislators and established new DEI practices at another major company through aggressive litigation. Bass Pro/Outdoor World agreed to pay $10.5 million and provide “other significant relief” to settle a hiring discrimination suit brought by Obama’s EEOC, according to the agency. The administration claimed Bass Pro Shops discriminated against minority applicants, but instead of a strictly cash settlement, it reached agreements to mandate EEO training, affirmative diversity outreach and the appointment of a DEI director, according to AFC’s research. In an ongoing climate-related suit — in which Honolulu is suing Sunoco via the Sher-Edling firm — the Hawaiian capital reportedly alleged public nuisance claims and sought to hold oil companies responsible for climate damages. AFC’s report found the suit seeks not only monetary damages for “climate-related infrastructure costs,” but also disgorgement of profits, climate-mitigation actions and other corporate reforms. “These cases attempt to use courts to impose climate policy, effectively putting judges in charge of energy and climate regulation rather than elected legislatures and administrative agencies with technical expertise,” the report said. Fox News Digital reached out to Sher-Edling. FOX NEWS DIGITAL REPORT SPURS 22 AGS TO URGE EXPANDED HOUSE PROBE INTO ALLEGED JUDICIAL BIAS In another case, red-state government employees were granted access to transgender health care after a staff accountant surnamed Rich and other plaintiffs sued over a health plan that denied coverage of transgender care. A $365,000 settlement was lodged and split among the defendants and an LGBTQ-rights group, while Georgia agreed to make sweeping policy changes to cover transgender care — something that would have typically gone through the legislature and likely failed with a Republican majority in charge. The main litigant in that case was the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF) — which has now merged into Advocates for Trans Equality (ATE). ‘SHOCKING AND INAPPROPRIATE’: LEGAL EXPERTS SLAM JUDGES’ GUIDE OVER CLIMATE BIAS CLAIMS “Strategic litigation by advocacy organizations successfully bypassed Georgia’s legislative process to impose highly contested healthcare policy through judicial decree, demonstrating how activist organizations achieve policy goals through courts rather than democratic processes,” AFC found in its reporting analysis. ATE did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Impact litigation has long been used by advocacy groups across the political spectrum to advance policy goals through the courts. Right-leaning groups have also been successful in forging settlement agreements that secure policy-related outcomes rather than strictly cash settlements. In CRPA v. LASD, a district court ruled that members of a Second Amendment advocacy group may apply for non-resident concealed-carry permits in California. The 2025 case saw a judge rule in favor of the California Rifle and Pistol Association, requiring Sacramento to accept permit applications from any out-of-state resident who is a member of a number of Second Amendment organizations. Skinner told Fox News Digital that the tide, at least at the
Trump orders Pentagon to buy electricity generated by coal
Trump’s order is the latest move by US administration to boost fossil fuel industry despite climate change concerns. Listen to this article Listen to this article | 3 mins info Published On 12 Feb 202612 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share United States President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to buy electricity generated by coal, his latest effort to boost demand for the fossil fuel amid its declining cost competitiveness and climate change concerns. In an executive order signed on Wednesday, Trump directed the US Department of Defence to enter into long-term purchase agreements with coal-fired plants and prioritise the “preservation and strategic utilisation” of “coal-based energy assets”. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Trump’s order did not specify how much energy the Pentagon would purchase or under what financial terms. “You do so much,” Trump said at a White House event attended by coal industry executives and miners. “You heat our homes, fuel our factories, and turn natural resources into American riches and dreams,” he said. Trump also announced that the US Department of Energy would invest $175m to upgrade six coal plants in North Carolina, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia. “The most important people here today are those who get their hands a little bit dirty to keep America running at full speed – our front line coal workers,” Trump said. Coal production in the US has been in decline for decades amid growing competition from natural gas and renewables, including wind, hydropower and solar. Production fell by more than half between 2008 and 2023, when output hit 578 million tonnes, according to the US Energy Information Administration. The fossil fuel accounted for about 16 percent of US energy production in 2023, behind natural gas and renewables at 43 percent and 21 percent, respectively. Advertisement Trump: ‘Beautiful, clean coal’ A 2023 analysis by Energy Innovation, a California-based nonprofit, found that 99 percent of coal-powered facilities in the US were more expensive to run than the cost of their replacement with renewable alternatives. Trump has championed the revival of “beautiful, clean coal” as crucial to boosting domestic manufacturing and achieving US dominance in artificial intelligence, despite the fossil fuel’s flagging competitiveness and contribution to greenhouse gases that drive climate change. Trump, who initiated Washington’s exit from the Paris climate accord and has described the scientific consensus on warming temperatures as a “con job”, declared an “energy emergency” on his first day in office to prevent the closure of ageing coal plants. The US Energy Department has forced at least five plants to extend their operations beyond their scheduled retirement date since Trump’s order. Also on Wednesday, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the largest public utility provider in the US, voted to extend the lifespan of two coal plants that had been scheduled for closure by 2035. The TVA vote came after the utility added four Trump appointees to its board of directors last month, after the US president had earlier fired three board members chosen by his predecessor, President Joe Biden. Adblock test (Why?)
Russia evacuates tourists from Cuba as US-engineered fuel crisis deepens
Russia will operate only return flights from Cuba as ‘evacuation’ of Russian citizens visiting the Caribbean island gets under way. Listen to this article Listen to this article | 3 mins info Published On 12 Feb 202612 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Russia is preparing to evacuate its citizens who are visiting Cuba, Moscow’s aviation authorities said, after a United States-imposed oil blockade on the island nation has choked off supplies of jet fuel. “Due to the difficulties with refuelling aircraft in Cuba, Rossiya Airlines and Nordwind Airlines have been forced to adjust their flight schedules to airports in the country,” Russia’s federal aviation regulator Rosaviatsia said in a statement on Wednesday. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “Rossiya Airlines will operate a number of return flights only – from Havana and Varadero to Moscow – to ensure the evacuation of Russian tourists currently in Cuba,” the regulator said. About 5,000 Russian tourists may be on the island, Russia’s Association of Tour Operators said earlier this week. Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development separately called on citizens not to travel to Cuba amid its worst fuel crisis in years, caused by the US choking off supplies of oil from Venezuela following the US military’s abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in early January. Russia’s TASS news agency said the Russian embassy in Havana is in contact with national carrier Aeroflot and Cuban aviation authorities to “ensure our citizens return home safely”. Aeroflot has announced repatriation flights for Russians, TASS said, reporting also that the embassy in Havana told Russian media outlet Izvestia that Moscow plans to send humanitarian aid shipments of oil and petroleum products to Cuba. Humanitarian ‘collapse’ in Cuba A traditional ally of Havana, Moscow has accused Washington of attempting to “suffocate” the Caribbean island nation. Advertisement Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Moscow was discussing “possible solutions” to provide Havana with “whatever assistance” it needs. More than 130,000 Russians visited Cuba in 2025, according to reports, the third-largest group of visitors to the island after Canadians and Cubans living abroad. Air Canada and the Canadian airlines Air Transat and WestJet have also cut flights to Cuba due to the fuel shortages. While Cuba has been in a severe economic crisis for years, largely caused by longstanding US sanctions due to Washington’s antipathy towards Havana’s socialist leadership, the situation has become dire since the return of President Donald Trump to the White House. Trump has directly threatened Cuba’s government and passed a recent executive order allowing for the imposition of trade tariffs on countries that supply oil to Cuba. Cuba, which can produce just a third of its total fuel requirements, has seen widespread power outages due to the lack of fuel. Bus and train services have been cut, some hotels have closed, schools and universities have been restricted, and public sector workers are on a four-day work week. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned last week of a humanitarian “collapse” in Cuba if its energy needs go unmet. Adblock test (Why?)
Three children killed in drone strike on mosque in central Sudan: Doctors
The Sudan Doctors Network said the deadly strike was carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Listen to this article Listen to this article | 3 mins info Published On 12 Feb 202612 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share A drone attack on a mosque in central Sudan has killed two children and injured 13 more, according to a Sudanese doctor’s association, amid a rise in similar attacks across the region. The Sudan Doctors Network said the attack was carried out at dawn on Wednesday by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group engaged in a three-year civil war with the Sudanese Armed Forces. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The children were reportedly studying the Quran at the Sheikh Ahmed al-Badawi Mosque in North Kordofan State when the building was hit by a drone in a “blatant violation of international humanitarian law and a grave assault on places of worship”, the doctors’ group said in a Facebook post. “Targeting children inside mosques is a fully constituted crime that cannot be justified under any pretext and represents a dangerous escalation in the pattern of repeated violations against civilians,” the doctors said. The Sudan Doctors Network said the RSF has previously targeted other religious buildings for attack, including a church in Khartoum and another mosque in el-Fasher, reflecting a “systematic pattern that shows clear disregard for the sanctity of life and religious sites”. “The network calls on the international community, the United Nations, and human rights and humanitarian organizations to take urgent action to pressure for the end to the targeting of civilians, ensure their protection, open safe corridors for the delivery of medical and humanitarian aid, and work to document these violations and hold those responsible accountable,” it said. Advertisement The UN separately said on Wednesday that a recent series of drone attacks have been reported on civilian infrastructure in Sudan’s South Kordofan, North Kordofan and West Kordofan states. A World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse in Kadugli was also hit by a suspected rocket attack on Tuesday night, according to UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. He did not say which group was responsible for the attack. “The fact that we have to reiterate almost every day that civilians and civilian infrastructure, places of worship, schools and hospitals cannot and should not be targeted is a tragedy in itself,” Dujarric told reporters. The UN has warned that Sudan’s civil war is expanding from western Darfur into the Kordofan region. It has documented more than 90 civilian deaths and 142 injuries caused by drone strikes between the end of January and February 6, which were carried out by the RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces. Targets included a WFP convoy, markets, health facilities and residential neighbourhoods in southern and northern Kordofan, the UN said. Adblock test (Why?)