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February 12, 2026
With House GOP Majority Teetering on the Brink, Florida Congressman Plans to Retire Early
(Mediaite) Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL) is planning to announce an early retirement next week, according to Florida Politics publisher Peter Schorsch — an exit that would drag the House Republican majority out the door with him. Dunn, 72, announced last month that he had decided “[a]fter much prayerful consideration and discussion with my family” to not seek re-election. Currently, Republicans have the majority in the House by a very narrow margin, 218 to 214, and three seats vacant, meaning any time Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is facing a party-line vote, he can only afford to lose a single Republican member’s support.
Go to discussionRed state elections chief smacks down Trump DOJ's demand to hand over voter rolls
(Raw Story) President Donald Trump's Justice Department demands that states hand over their unredacted voting rolls got a firm rebuke from an unlikely source this week: the West Virginia Secretary of State. West Virginia is one of the most Trump-supportive states in the entire country, voting for the president by blowout margins three times in a row. But according to the liberal voting rights group Democracy Docket, GOP Secretary Kris Warner believes the DOJ's demand is illegal, and an assault on federalism. “State law is clear: voter lists are available in a redacted format from my office, but I’ll not be turning over any West Virginian’s protected information,” said Warner in a prepared statement.
Go to discussion'Very chilling': GOP senators slam Trump admin's bungled indictment attempt against Dems
(Raw Story) With President Donald Trump's Justice Department trying, and failing, to secure a criminal indictment against Sens. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) for their roles in a video advising active-duty troops they must refuse illegal orders, Senate Republicans are coming out of the woodwork to condemn the administration having even attempted this in the first place, NOTUS reported on Wednesday evening.
Go to discussionTrump allows Democratic governors at White House meeting after initial snub
(Washington Post) President Donald Trump has backed down from his decision to exclude Democratic governors from an annual White House meeting that has long been bipartisan, according to the National Governors Association. For decades, the White House meeting between the president and governors — held around the NGA’s annual winter gathering in Washington — has included Republican and Democratic governors. That nearly changed last week when Trump did not extend an invitation to Democrats, sparking concern among governors.
Go to discussionTrump Is Losing Low Information Voters
(Political Wire) G. Elliot Morris: “In 2024, the voters who knew the least about politics were some of Donald Trump’s strongest supporters. One pre-election poll found Americans who didn’t consume any news at all said they’d vote for him over Kamala Harris by a 20-point margin, 60% to 40%. Today, the president’s support among low-knowledge voters has cratered to just 43%, according to a new analysis of data from our January Strength In Numbers/Verasight poll. The share of 2024 voters who now disapprove of the president is well over 55%.”
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Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal accuses DOJ of 'spying' on her search history from unredacted Epstein files review
(ABC News) House Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal accused Attorney General Pam Bondi of "spying" on her search history when the congresswoman visited the Department of Justice earlier this week to view unredacted Jeffrey Epstein files. "It is totally inappropriate and against the separations of powers for the DOJ to surveil us as we search the Epstein files," Jayapal said in a post on X. "Bondi showed up today with a burn book that held a printed search history of exactly what emails I searched. That is outrageous and I intend to pursue this and stop this spying on members."
Go to discussionHouse Republicans call to investigate Bad Bunny Super Bowl show over 'widespread twerking, grinding, pelvic thrusts'
(Entertainment Weekly) Rep. Mark Alford said the fallout "could be much worse than the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction." Two days out, Bad Bunny's epic Super Bowl halftime show, which featured cameos from stars such as Lady Gaga, Pedro Pascal, and Ricky Martin, is still getting a lot of attention, especially from Republican lawmakers. They were not entertained. By Monday, one of the detractors, Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), asked officials to look into the performance, which he called "pure smut" that he claimed was "illegal to be displayed on public airways."
Go to discussionJD Vance says Olympians 'not there to pop off about politics'
(USA Today) Vice President JD Vance warned United States Olympic athletes to expect "pushback" if they delve into politics, defending President Donald Trump's criticism of freestyle halfpipe skier Hunter Hess. "You're not there to pop off about politics," Vance told reporters Feb. 11 while traveling back from an overseas trip where he led the U.S. delegation to the 2026 Winter Olympics. "So when Olympic athletes enter the political arena, they should expect some pushback."
Go to discussionOil giant tells Trump it's 'too expensive' to reinvest in Venezuela despite president's urging
(The Independent) The CEO of a major oil company has said that it is “too expensive and too polluting” to return operations to Venezuela, despite the urging of Donald Trump. TotalEnergies boss Patrick Pouyanne said the company had pulled out of the South American country “because it clashed with our strategy. It was too expensive and too polluting and that is still the case.”
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