MAGA-aligned billionaires Larry Ellison and his son David have acquired CNN's parent company after winning a bidding war against Netflix, with their company Paramount Skydance increasing its bid to $31 per share. The Ellisons' company aims to influence the media landscape, with David Ellison attending Donald Trump's State of the Union address. The move follows a revised bid from Paramount Skydance for Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns HBO and is a major Hollywood studio.
Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould indicated he would consider sharing an unredacted bank charter application of World Liberty Financial with Senators Warren and Scott during a Senate Banking Committee hearing. Warren requested access to verify disclosures related to the company's principal shareholders, and Gould expressed willingness to discuss provisioning such access. The application, submitted in January, seeks to establish a national trust bank focused on stablecoins, with the company asserting compliance with all regulatory requirements.
The Trump administration announced the withholding of $259 million in Medicaid funds for Minnesota over allegations of welfare fraud, stemming from a scandal involving stolen funds from child nutrition and Medicaid programs. Minnesota officials, including Governor Tim Walz, criticized the move as politically motivated, citing ongoing efforts to combat fraud through legislative proposals. The fraud allegations are primarily linked to the Feeding Our Future scandal, with estimates suggesting that up to $9 billion may have been stolen from Medicaid since 2018, though claims of taxpayer pillaging have been widely exaggerated. The funding suspension impacts certain programs vulnerable to fraud, but not core Medicaid services.
A group of pro-Trump attorneys is circulating a draft executive order that claims to use allegations of Chinese interference in the 2020 election to declare a national emergency and grant President Trump broad control over voting methods, including banning mail-in ballots and electronic voting machines. The draft, which Trump has reportedly reviewed, also emphasizes the use of voter ID and hand-counted ballots. Experts and Democrats have criticized the proposal as based on unfounded claims, reaffirming that election regulation authority lies with state legislatures and Congress.
FBI Director Kash Patel ordered the removal of at least 10 employees involved in the investigation of President Trump’s handling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, amid broader internal disputes related to the probe. The dismissals follow the discovery that the FBI used subpoenas to obtain communication records of Patel and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles during the investigation, which is now under special counsel Jack Smith. The FBI Agents Association condemned the layoffs, stating they undermine the agency’s expertise and trust, while the Justice Department continues to oversee the investigations into Trump’s document handling and election interference.
An estimated 32.6 million people watched President Donald Trump's State of the Union address, marking a decrease of 4 million viewers from his 2025 speech. The address, which was the longest televised State of the Union by any president, drew a viewership comparable to Joe Biden's 2024 address. Fox News was the most-watched network, with 9.1 million viewers.
Several Muslim-majority countries, including Indonesia, have joined Donald Trump's Board of Peace initiative, a platform aimed at conflict stabilization and post-conflict recovery, particularly in Gaza. Indonesia has pledged to send troops and support the two-state solution, with President Prabowo expressing a desire to contribute to regional peace despite Indonesia's lack of recognition of Israel. Australia has yet to respond to the invitation, and major Western allies like the UK and Canada have declined to participate, raising questions about the board's effectiveness and Indonesia’s role in the initiative.
The article discusses the significance of the Supreme Court case Louisiana v. Callais, which is pivotal for protecting voting rights for Black and Brown voters in the South, particularly in Texas. PTI Board Chair Louis Bedford highlights concerns about efforts to undermine equal voting rights and emphasizes the importance of safeguarding voter access amid ongoing legal battles.
Philip Grillo, a former Queens Republican Party district leader and January 6 Capitol rioter, announced a campaign for New York State Assembly in eastern Queens, where he will face multiple opponents in the GOP primary. Despite his political ambitions, Grillo has a history of unsuccessful campaigns and was recently convicted and imprisoned before being pardoned by then-President Trump.
Unverified reports suggest that President Trump may have sidelined Pakistan in Gaza peace negotiations and exerted pressure on Saudi Arabia regarding a Pakistani fighter jet deal; however, no official confirmation has been made by Washington, Riyadh, or Islamabad. Experts indicate that these claims are speculative and may reflect competing narratives influenced by regional political dynamics, with officials and analysts emphasizing the importance of Pakistan's diplomatic role and long-standing military relationships. Overall, there is no concrete evidence of significant US displeasure or policy shifts concerning Pakistan's involvement in the Middle East or defense agreements with Saudi Arabia.
A Hoyt Lakes man, Robert Allen Hannu, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of sexual conduct with a 14-year-old girl and possession of child pornography. The investigation revealed he met the victim online, beginning a relationship in 2019 that involved at least six encounters near Lake Vermilion. Hannu admitted to four counts of criminal sexual conduct and possessing pornographic material depicting a minor, and faces a potential prison sentence of 110 months.
House Republicans missed their February 15 deadline to release legislation enabling the year-round sale of E15 gasoline, a move linked to efforts to garner farm-state support for spending bills. The delay has affected the House floor vote, with ongoing negotiations over issues such as small refinery exemptions and industry concerns about costs and environmental impact. Farm groups and Democrats criticize the delay, urging immediate legislative action on expanding E15 sales.
