All Activity

E Pluribus Unum (Kevin Mazur / Getty)   View in browser Last night, during Super Bowl halftime, I watched a mustachioed entertainer put on a show that celebrated working-class values, the pleasures of a good party, and the virtues of marriage, with a side serving of grievance against elites. This wasn’t Bad Bunny’s performance—it was the alternative performance put on by Turning Point USA, led by Kid Rock. Despite the best efforts of the organizers to stoke controversy, I couldn’t help but notice how much overlap there was between its message and the one the Puerto Rican superstar delivered in Santa Clara. As my colleague Spencer Kornhaber writes, Bad Bunny’s show was unifying rather than divisive, but it did have a political message: that working hard, playing hard, and loving America aren’t values that belong to any political group or linguistic heritage. Although Turning Point’s show was intended to offer a radical contrast, the many thematic convergences only strengthened that argument. Above all, the Turning Point show was boring and dour. It kicked off with a distorted-electric-guitar rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” a Jimi Hendrix pastiche shorn of all the irony and pathos of the famous version at Woodstock. Brantley Gilbert played “Real American,” a bland piece of nu-metal/country patriotic kitsch, and “Dirt Road Anthem,” a paean to drunk driving. Gabby Barrett, a former American Idol third-place winner, sang a kiss-off to a cheater and then a love song to “one of the good ones.” More overtly political, at least in theory, was Lee Brice’s “Drinking Class.” “I’m a member of a blue-collar crowd / They can never, no, they can’t keep us down,” he sang. “Monday through Friday, man, we bust our backs.” This is a common sentiment in contemporary country music, but it is not, despite what Brice might believe, unique to white conservatives. The New York Times wrote that Bad Bunny “was summoning a Latin heritage across generations, one that recognized hard work—cane-cutting, electric-grid repairs—alongside the good times workers sweated to earn.” These kinds of echoes were all over the two shows. Kid Rock extolled marriage, singing, “You can always put a diamond on her hand / ’til you can’t,” and Charlie Kirk, the assassinated founder of Turning Point, was heard encouraging marriage in an old audio clip; Bad Bunny hosted an actual wedding during his performance. Both shows used “real” instruments as signifiers of authenticity—workmanlike performances on guitars and drum kits for the Turning Point set (except from Kid Rock, who appeared to be lip-synching his 1999 hit “Bawitdaba”); a brass salsa band and the characteristic Puerto Rican cuatro during Bad Bunny’s. “We fly that red, white, blue, high, waving all across the land,” Gilbert sang. Bad Bunny flew that red, white, and blue too, along with flags from Puerto Rico and other countries in North and South America, declaring, “God bless America.” The fact that the patriotism he displayed was more complicated and nuanced that Gilbert’s does not make it any less genuine. Bad Bunny even danced on top of a pickup truck, a visual that would have worked perfectly for any of the Turning Point performers if they hadn’t been playing on a darkened, austere soundstage. Each show also had its complaints about mistreatment by elites, but not all grievances are equally legitimate. During “El Apagón,” Bad Bunny performed atop imitation power poles topped with sparking transformers—a symbol of Puerto Rico’s fragile power grid, and of the political corruption and imperial neglect that let it get that way. But whereas the Jumbotron behind Bad Bunny at Levi’s Stadium declared “The only thing more powerful than hate is love,” Brice delivered swipes at liberals and trans people in a new song called “Country Nowadays,” which nevertheless complained that “because I have my morals and my small-town point of view / You assume that you don’t like me means that I don’t like you too.” Could that be because of your lyrics? This unearned sense of grievance is what animated the backlash to Bad Bunny’s performance and inspired Turning Point’s alternative show. Right-wing pundits charged that Bad Bunny’s message would be divisive (it wasn’t) or that he was an immigrant (he’s not). President Trump ranted about the show on Truth Social, writing that it was “absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER! It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America,” adding that “Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting.” Laura Loomer was more straightforward in her condemnation: “This isn’t White enough for me,” she posted on X. If the people participating in the Bad Bunny backlash slowed down and looked a little closer, they might find that they actually have a great many values in common with him. (Well, maybe not Loomer. Some Bad Bunny critics are just bigoted.) This might provide the grounds for just the sort of understanding and reconciliation that Brice claims to want. Other Americans will notice, however, how familiar and relatable Bad Bunny’s ethos was, even if they couldn’t understand his Spanish-language lyrics. Almost as important as the message of Bad Bunny’s show was the exuberance with which he conveyed it: Living these American values could be joyful, he suggested. It was, as Spencer wrote, a performance “rooted in the good old-fashioned pleasure principle.” Meanwhile, the Turning Point musicians sang about having a good time, but they didn’t appear to be having a good time. If right-wing leaders wonder why MAGA has struggled to overtake the country’s cultural establishment, they might start with the very different ways the two shows framed shared values. Related: Trump’s golden age of culture seems pretty sad so far. How Bad Bunny did it

📺 1 for the road: 63 days of sports ecstasy Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios The Super Bowl and Winter Olympics are just the start of an incredible few months for sports fans. A few highlights ahead, via Yahoo Sports' Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy: 🏀 Feb. 15: NBA All-Star Game 🏁 Feb. 15: Daytona 500 ⚾️️ March 5–17: World Baseball Classic 🏎️ March 6–8: F1 Season Opener 🏀 March 19–22: March Madness Opening Weekend ⚾️️ March 25–26: MLB Opening Day 🏀 April 4 & 6: Final Four ⛳️️ April 9–12: The Masters Go deeper.

🌐 Epstein rocks Europe Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty Images Fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal is sweeping Europe — while in the U.S., many powerful people have skated, Axios' Avery Lotz reports. 🇬🇧 U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's director of communications and chief of staff departed amid a firestorm over Peter Mandelson, who was dismissed as U.K. ambassador to the U.S. due to his Epstein links. Starmer is now fighting for his political life, despite never having met Epstein himself. British police are also assessing claims that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (formerly Prince Andrew) emailed confidential trade visit reports to Epstein. 🇳🇴 In Norway, a former prime minister is under investigation, an ambassador resigned and the crown princess has apologized for her friendship with Epstein. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer speaks to reporters today. Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images 🏛️ In Washington today, Ghislaine Maxwell declined to answer questions during a closed-door, virtual deposition with the House Oversight Committee as part of its probe into Epstein, Axios' Kate Santaliz reports. Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) told reporters afterward: "Unfortunately, she had an opportunity today to answer questions that every American has — questions that would be very important in this investigation — and she chose to invoke her Fifth Amendment." Maxwell was sentenced to prison in 2022 after a federal jury found her guilty of helping Epstein traffic teenage girls. She has denied abusing anyone and says she was scapegoated after Epstein died in prison in 2019. Prosecutors denied that. 🔍 What's next: Members of Congress can access millions of uncensored Epstein records starting today. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), on X: "We will not rest until the Epstein class is brought to justice." Go deeper.

👧🏾 What babysitters make Data: UrbanSitter. (Metro areas sorted by average rate for 2 children.) Chart: Axios Visuals Average babysitting rates in the U.S. rose nearly 5% last year, hitting $26.24 per hour for one child, Alex Fitzpatrick reports from new UrbanSitter data. 💸 Parents are paying nearly $30/hour on average for two kids, the sitter-finding platform says. Rates tend to be higher in places with steeper costs of living. 🌉 San Francisco ($29.63/hour for 1 kid) and Seattle ($27.70/hour) have some of the highest rates. See the report.

San Francisco teachers strike over wages and health benefits SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — About 6,000 public schoolteachers in San Francisco went on strike Monday, the city’s first such walkout in nearly 50 years. https://apnews.com/article/san-francisco-teachers-strike-8507ee82d887d71cd94a1d7513409a11? NYC nurses reach a deal to end a strike at 2 major hospitals while walkout continues at another NEW YORK (AP) — Nurses and two major hospital systems in New York City have reached a deal to end a nearly monthlong strike over staffing levels, workplace safety, health insurance and other issues. https://apnews.com/article/nursing-strike-nyc-hospitals-agreement-0d837a65f5f3d74ea73eceeea89c2e74?

New York City police officer convicted of manslaughter in cooler throwing death NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City police officer was convicted Friday of second-degree manslaughter after he tossed a picnic cooler filled with drinks at a fleeing suspect, causing the man to fatally crash his motorized scooter. https://apnews.com/article/new-york-police-cooler-death-convicted-3d84146766bac526c97d48d687f0ff77?

Moderate candidate wins emphatically over a populist in Portugal’s presidential runoff LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Center-left Socialist candidate António José Seguro recorded a thumping victory over hard-right populist André Ventura in Portugal’s runoff presidential election Sunday, according to official results with 99% of votes counted. https://apnews.com/article/portugal-presidential-election-populist-moderate-5a63b7df570c98f53a9ad29b402bae7c?

Thailand’s ruling Bhumjaithai party tops election that marks a conservative comeback BANGKOK (AP) — The Bhumjaithai Party of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is on track to win the most seats in Thailand’s general election, according to unofficial results released by the state Election Commission after about 94% of polling stations had reported Monday. https://apnews.com/article/thailand-general-election-2026-result-69186c8fce2df62e2bff0cc56234401e?

Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi looks to translate her election gains into a new conservative shift TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s gamble that her personal popularity would lead to big election gains for her struggling party paid off hugely. https://apnews.com/article/japan-sanae-takaichi-election-conservative-941151002423badb521de38be6c6daf3?

Olympic photo highlights from Day 3 of the Milan Cortina Winter Games https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/milan-olympics-photos-gallery-day-3-8590ceb6d2be57632422b8148cca5943?

In the Arctic, the major climate threat of black carbon is overshadowed by geopolitical tensions As rising global temperatures speed up the melting of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean, it’s set off a boom of ships taking routes that previously were frozen and not traversable. The increase in marine Arctic traffic, which received increased attention as President Donald Trump pushed for the United States to take over Greenland, has come with a heavy environmental cost: black carbon, or soot, that spews from ships and makes the ice melt even faster. Read more. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Canada and France open consulates in Greenland following tensions over US push for control Apps to boycott US goods gained traction in crisis over Greenland As global warming melts glaciers, a novel sanctuary in Antarctica is opening to preserve ice samples

Masks emerge as symbol of Trump’s ICE crackdown and a flashpoint in Congress Beyond the car windows being smashed, people tackled on city streets — or even a little child with a floppy bunny ears snowcap detained — the images of masked federal officers has become a flashpoint in the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations. Whether to ban the masks has emerged as a central question in the debate in Congress over funding Homeland Security ahead of Friday’s midnight deadline, when it faces a partial agency shutdown. Read more. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Trump’s immigration crackdown is straining federal courts. Judges are raising the alarm Migrants languish in US detention centers amid dire conditions and prolonged waits Nicaraguan government blocks key pathway used by Cuban migrants to reach United States Cuba says airlines can no longer refuel on the island as US blockade deepens energy crisis US military boards sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after pursuit from the Caribbean Officials deny seeking quick end to asylum claims for the Minneapolis family of 5-year-old Feds can’t withhold social service funds from 5 Democratic states amid fraud claims, judge rules Judge strikes down old Arizona abortion restrictions that clash with voter-backed guarantees Judge rejects Democrats’ plea for early voting sites at 3 North Carolina universities Trump ends Obama-era restrictions on commercial fishing in protected area off New England FEMA will resume staff reductions that were paused during winter storm, managers say Vance is in Armenia, a country no sitting US president or vice president has visited before Ohio man charged with threatening to kill Vice President JD Vance and possessing child abuse files Ghislaine Maxwell appeals for clemency from Trump as she declines to answer questions from lawmakers Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein, declined to answer questions from House lawmakers in a deposition Monday, but indicated that if President Donald Trump ended her prison sentence, she was willing to testify that neither he nor former President Bill Clinton had done anything wrong in their relationships with Epstein. Read more. ps:Of course she did and of course she'd be willing to tell them that he didn't do anything, etc.!!

Ghislaine Maxwell appeals for clemency from Trump as she declines to answer questions from lawmakers WASHINGTON (AP) — Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein, declined to answer questions from House lawmakers in a deposition Monday, but indicated that if President Donald Trump ended her prison sentence, she was willing to testify that neither he nor former President Bill Clinton had done anything wrong in their connections with Epstein. https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-ghislaine-maxwell-congress-f1e947bb9128aaa626390f0987f322e9?

Secret ICE Arrest Data Blows Up Trump’s ‘Worst of the Worst’ Claim Four in 10 people detained by masked goons since last January have never even been charged with a crime. Fewer than one in seven of those arrested by ICE since Donald Trump returned to office had charges or convictions for violent criminal offenses, according to the Department of Homeland Security’s own data. A previously undisclosed document, obtained by CBS News, shows that only a small fraction of the nearly 400,000 migrants detained by ICE since last January are violent offenders, undermining the administration’s vow to target only “the worst of the worst” immigrants as part of its hardline mass deportation campaign. The data also shows that 42 percent of the 392,619 ICE arrests between Jan. 21, 2025, and Jan. 31, 2026 involved people with no prior criminal charges or convictions. Nearly 40 percent were accused only of civil immigration offenses, such as living in the U.S. illegally, with around 11,000 accused of allegations such as interfering with ICE’s operations.The Trump administration has been widely condemned for the aggressive tactics of masked ICE agents in U.S. cities as they carry out immigration raids. The president and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi “ICE Barbie” Noem have repeatedly rejected the criticism by claiming officers are removing “murderers, pedophiles, rapists, gang members, and terrorists” from the U.S.However, the official statistics from DHS’s own internal document cast doubt on how effectively the sweeping immigration crackdown is targeting violent criminals involved in drugs, organized crime, or murder. The data shows that just 0.5 percent of the nearly 393,000 ICE arrests involved people accused or convicted of homicide, amounting to around 2,100 individuals. There were similarly low numbers for those accused or convicted of sexual assault (1.4 percent), weapons offenses (1.6 percent), or dangerous drug charges (5.7 percent). Just 2 percent of those taken into ICE custody were accused of being gang members. According to an analysis by CBS News just 13.9 percent of those arrested had been charged with or arrested for violent crimes. The most common offenses connected to ICE detainees were the 118,000 accused of “other” crimes, such as entering the U.S. illegally or reentering the country after being deported, the network reported. Other analyses have similarly suggested that ICE is not rounding up the “worst of the worst” at the scale it claims while defending its deportation push. In December, the Daily Beast found that multiple immigrants labeled on a DHS website as the “worst criminal aliens arrested” were accused only of minor offenses such as traffic violations or marijuana possession, which is not even a crime in many states. A review of ICE data by the Cato Institute found that as of October 2025, 73 percent of people booked into ICE custody had no criminal conviction, while nearly half had neither a conviction nor pending charges. Just 5 percent of migrants detained by ICE had a violent conviction, according to the institute. The Daily Beast has contacted the Department of Homeland Security and the White House for comment. https://www.thedailybeast.com/secret-ice-arrest-data-blows-up-donald-trumps-worst-of-the-worst-claim/? ps:He's not interested in the worst of the worst! He wants everyone who's not white out of the country or not coming into the country!!

Trump’s Border Czar Raised Major Consequence of ICE Tactics Tom Homan predicted that the administration’s aggressive immigration policies would backfire. Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, warned of the American public turning on the administration’s hardline deportation policies if they were not focused on criminals. In a June 2025 interview with NBC News reporter Julia Ainsley for her upcoming book, Homan said the administration would need to prioritize targeting migrants who had committed crimes beyond being in the U.S. illegally in order to “keep the faith of the American people.” The comments from last year are being reported as polling shows Trump is facing growing backlash over his heavy-handed immigration policies, particularly in the wake of the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis. Data from the Department of Homeland Security also suggests ICE is not arresting the “worst of the worst” in its raids, instead detaining people accused of nonviolent offenses or with no convictions at all. “I think the vast majority of the American people think criminal illegal aliens need to leave. And if we stick to that prioritization, I think we keep the faith of the American people,” Homan told NBC News on June 16. “And I think the more we do that, the more the American people will support what President Trump’s doing. We got to do it and we’ve got to do it in a humane manner.” Homan was deployed last month to lead on-the-ground immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, effectively replacing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi “ICE Barbie” Noem and top Border Patrol goon Gregory Bovino following their disastrous handling of operations in the city. Homan’s remarks last June came as Bovino was overseeing large-scale immigration raids in Los Angeles, including operations targeting nonviolent migrants at their places of work. The backlash to those sweeps prompted Trump to deploy the National Guard and Marines to control protests in the Democratic city. Homan warned at the time that Bovino’s aggressive tactics risked sweeping up migrants who had legally entered the U.S. to seek asylum instead of hardened criminals. “I think the more stories like that, people are going to question what we’re doing more,” Homan said. The White House border czar official, who served as a Homeland Security official under both the Obama and Trump administrations, argued that prioritizing criminal migrants would not signal that authorities were turning a blind eye to others in the country illegally. “When I say prioritize public safety threats, they’re just a priority. I’ve said it many times: If you’re in the country illegally, you’re not off the table. If we find you while we’re out there looking, you’re going to be arrested,” Homan told NBC News.In a statement to NBC News, DHS insisted it is focusing on hardened criminals in its immigration raids, and there are no differences of opinion within the administration when it comes to immigration enforcement. “As Border Czar Homan and Secretary Noem have both said numerous times, ICE conducts targeted operations to remove public safety threats from this country—any individual illegally in the country is on the table,” a DHS spokesperson said. “There is only one page: the President’s page. Everyone’s on the same page.” The Daily Beast has contacted the Department of Homeland Security for further comment. Editor’s note: The Daily Beast has updated this article to correctly attribute the reason for the interview with Homan. https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trumps-border-czar-tom-homan-raised-major-consequence-of-ice-tactics/? ps:One of the few in this administration with a few brain cells that actually work!!!!!

Crypto Bros Rage at Trump as Market Collapses The president and his family have reportedly made billions from their own crypto ventures. Crypto bros have turned on President Donald Trump after billions of dollars were wiped out of the volatile cryptocurrency market. As noted by Axios, the male-dominated world of crypto investing is the latest group to rage against the president during his erratic second term, with many regretting supporting the 79-year-old. Before returning to office, Trump vowed to make the U.S. “the crypto capital of the world,” a promise that sent the price of flagship cryptocurrency bitcoin surging after the 2024 election and eventually to record highs late last year. Those gains have since been obliterated. Bitcoin is now hovering around $68,000, down sharply from roughly $125,000 in October 2025. Ether, the second-largest cryptocurrency, has also been hammered, losing more than 35 percent of its value in just the past month. A growing number of crypto bros are now venting their fury at Trump as it becomes increasingly clear that his much-hyped crypto strategy is failing. The backlash has coincided with viral reports that Trump-aligned crypto venture World Liberty Financial quietly sold $5 million worth of bitcoin last week, helping send prices tumbling even further. “I voted for the first time in 2024 as a single-issue voter. Crypto president? How can I not vote for that! Sounds great!” one crypto user posted to his 169,000 followers on X. “Not even a year later & he has destroyed the single issue I cared about. F--- you Trump.” Crypto influencer Carl Runefelt also conceded in a reply to one of his 1.5 million followers that Trump was “bad for crypto” and a “big mistake” to have as president. In a lengthy X post, another disillusioned crypto bro wrote: “The crypto market is in freefall right now, and while broader macro factors like tariff threats, geopolitical uncertainty, and deleveraging play a role, a significant chunk of the damage—and the eroded trust—stems directly from patterns tied to Trump himself.” “He pioneered market-moving tweets long ago, perfectly timing negative statements to tank sentiment and allow insiders (and potentially himself) to buy the dip cheaply, then switching to positive hype to pump euphoria and sell into retail FOMO. Rinse and repeat,” they added. Trump—whose own memecoin has lost nearly all its value since its launch last January—has not been hit nearly as hard by the crypto crash. World Liberty Financial has earned Trump and his family around $1.2 billion in cash since its launch, along with an additional $2.25 billion from various crypto holdings, according to The Wall Street Journal. Analysis from Bloomberg in January also estimated that cryptocurrency ventures have added $1.4 billion to the Trump family’s wealth over the past year. The White House said in a statement to the Daily Beast that the Trump administration was committed to crypto. “Volatility in a free market in which the government does not set prices is not going to change the Trump administration’s commitment to ensuring American dominance in cryptocurrency and other cutting-edge technologies of the future,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said. https://www.thedailybeast.com/crypto-bros-rage-at-donald-trump-as-market-collapses/?

Republicans Secretly Fuming With Trump as Midterm Disaster Looms However, sources said the president quite simply “seems not to care.” Republicans are secretly angry with President Donald Trump because he sounds “detached and noncommittal” ahead of a potential midterm election disaster, according to White House insiders who spoke to the Washington Post. Republicans hold an anxiety-inducing ultra-slim majority in the House. This, coupled with the lack of direction from Trump, his slumping approval ratings and signs of a Democratic rally in performance, has rankled some in the West Wing, sources told the Post. The sources said this has not yet translated to public condemnation, but some on Trump’s team are privately bristling. The reported angst comes from the fact that Trump, 79, has a $300 million-plus war chest, but has yet to approve a spending plan, nor has he endorsed GOP challengers in some key battleground states. Because of the latter, donors have had to bankroll expensive primaries in states like Texas and Georgia. When challenged, Trump “can sound detached and noncommittal,” one insider told the Post. Another source close to the White House said that, on some days, the president quite simply “seems not to care.” One official said that losing the House majority doesn’t ruffle him as much because he has already faced a Democrat-led impeachment process twice, in 2019 and 2021. But this laissez-faire attitude doesn’t translate to his team, the Post reported, citing weary aides. As a result of Trump’s reluctance to endorse, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas has been drawn into a nasty, and expensive, primary challenge with MAGA fave Ken Paxton. In September last year, Team Cornyn rolled out an ad campaign coloring his scandal-prone fellow Republican as crooked. Months later, and Trump has not endorsed Cornyn or the Texas attorney general who is hoping to oust him. “There’s only one person in the world who’s going to make that decision and we can’t wait,” Cornyn told the Post. If Paxton were the Republican nominee, it would take a lot more money than usual to keep that Texas Senate seat. People involved in the race estimate it would cost about $100 million extra, because Paxton would need heavy advertising to stay competitive. Internal polling, the Post reported, showed Cornyn leading Paxton. Paxton, crucially, is also lagging behind Texas state Rep. James Talarico and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett on the Democratic side. Talarico or Crockett winning a general election would be a costly misstep caused by Trump’s inaction, if it were to come to fruition. And, despite a $50 million cash injection, Cornyn has established no definitive lead over either Paxton or GOP Rep. Wesley Hunt in the three-way battle. Republican Senatorial Committee chair Tim Scott of South Carolina tried to warn his colleagues at the Republican Senate caucus on Tuesday that disaster could be looming, the Post reported. He presented Fox News polling that suggested the Dems have a 6-point advantage in House races. This would leave all nine Senate battlegrounds open, compounded by the Democratic Party’s fruitful fundraising charge. Voting opens later this month, with the primary in early March. A runoff election will be held on May 26 if no candidate receives a majority. Senate leader John Thune has come closest to showing exasperation with Trump’s sloth-like approach to endorsing. “I’ve had many conversations about why I think that makes the most sense to get behind John Cornyn,” he told reporters last week. “I don’t have any inside knowledge of when or what that might look like or when it might happen.” Senator Thom Tillis, who has recently “gone rogue” by attacking Trump sycophants, was more direct. “I do think it’s a real problem when Senate Leadership Fund is on record supporting Cornyn and Cassidy, and President Trump is either silent or in opposition,” Tillis said, referring to the main super PAC supporting Senate Republicans. “We’re literally going to have Republican-on-Republican money being spent and that makes no sense leading up to a general [election] where we’re going to have headwinds.” Last month, Trump recruited and endorsed a challenger to Sen. Bill Cassidy in Louisiana. A White House official who spoke to the Post said this was a petty swipe based on the fact that Cassidy voted to impeach him after the Jan. 6 attacks in 2021. Despite the concern, a spokesman for Trump’s main super PAC, MAGA Inc., said the president will spend in waves. “MAGA Inc. will have the resources to help candidates who support President Trump’s America First agenda,” Alex Pfeiffer said. The White House pointed to Trump’s upcoming bumper domestic itinerary as evidence that he is focused on kitchen-table issues. In response to a request for comment, White House spokesman Kush Desai told the Daily Beast: “Last week, President Trump launched TrumpRx.gov to deliver unprecedented drug pricing relief for American patients, announced details of a historic trade deal with India, and did two national media interviews that reached millions of Americans.” “The president will be on the road later in the coming days to highlight this and the other work he’s doing for the American people,” Desai added. https://www.thedailybeast.com/republicans-secretly-fuming-with-trump-as-midterm-disaster-looms/?

👋 Good morning! And just like that, the sun has set on the 106th NFL season. The countdown to September 10th has officially begun. Looking ahead: The Super Bowl and Valentine's Day fall on the same day next year (Feb. 14). Should be an interesting stress test for America's relationships. In today's edition: Seahawks reign supreme, Gotterup wins Phoenix Open, Vonn crashes, Team USA figure skating takes gold, Olympics Watchlist, Baker's Dozen, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...   🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES ⛳️ Gotterup wins again: Rising star Chris Gotterup beat Hideki Matsuyama in a playoff to win the Phoenix Open, capturing his second victory of the year after also taking last month's season-opening Sony Open. The 26-year-old, who began last year ranked 191st, is up to No. 5. 🏀 Top teams fall: No. 14 UNC stormed back to beat No. 4 Duke, 71-68, at the buzzer to hand the Blue Devils just their second loss; No. 22 St. John's upset No. 3 UConn, 81-72, to end the Huskies' 18-game win streak; No. 10 Michigan State beat No. 5 Illinois, 85-82 (OT), behind a huge game from sophomore Jeremy Fears Jr. (26 pts, 15 ast). 🏈 Canton makes change: In light of the Bill Belichick controversy, the Pro Football Hall of Fame vote will return to being an in-person discussion among the 50-member committee. Since the pandemic, voting has been virtual. 🏀 Who ya got? Damian Lillard (ruptured Achilles) isn't expected to play this season, but the Trail Blazers star will still compete in the All-Star 3-Point Contest alongside Devin Booker (Suns), Kon Knueppel (Hornets), Tyrese Maxey (76ers), Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers), Jamal Murray (Nuggets), Bobby Portis Jr. (Bucks) and Norman Powell (Heat). 🏈 NDSU to MWC: FCS powerhouse North Dakota State will shell out $17 million to join the Mountain West Conference as a football-only member starting this coming season. The Bison have won 10 of the past 15 FCS national championships.   The NBA's biggest stars take the floor in Los Angeles for a first‑ever USA vs. World NBA All‑Star event. Watch live this Sunday at 5pm ET on NBC, or stream on Peacock.   🏆 SUPER BOWL LX SEAHAWKS REIGN SUPREME (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) The Seahawks put the clamps on the Patriots in Super Bowl LX, holding them scoreless for three quarters en route to a 29-13 victory and the franchise's second championship. New team, same formula: The Seahawks won this Super Bowl the same way they won their first: with a suffocating defense. Back in 2014, it was the "Legion of Boom" stifling Peyton Manning and the Broncos. 12 years later, it was the "Dark Side" shutting down Drake Maye and the Pats. Two years ago, Seattle bucked the "offensive guru" trend and hired the defensive-minded Mike Macdonald to lead their team. Little did they know he'd lead them all the way to the mountaintop, while vanquishing two such gurus (Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan) along the way. Maye couldn't get anything going against the league's No. 1 defense, ending the night with three turnovers and six sacks while facing near-constant pressure. The MVP runner-up was also battling an injured throwing shoulder that required a pain-killing injection before kickoff. Recipe for success: The Seahawks are the first Super Bowl champions to go the entire postseason without committing a single turnover. That elite ball security helped them cruise most of the way, winning their three playoff games by an average margin of 18.3 points and trailing for a grand total of 1 minute, 35 seconds. Kenneth Walker III celebrates with Sam Darnold. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images) Player of the Game: Kenneth Walker III (27 carries, 135 yards; 2 receptions, 26 yards) became the first running back to win Super Bowl MVP since Terrell Davis in 1998. The award held special meaning for the Tennessee native, who shared with reporters that this was the first game his father ever attended, due to a fear of crowds: "My dad, he comes up to Seattle all the time to watch the games, but never goes to [them] because he don't like crowds. So this was his first NFL game, and we won a Super Bowl … It means a lot to me, and I know he's proud of me for real." More standouts: Devon Witherspoon (Seahawks): Walker deserved his MVP, but you could also make a strong case for Witherspoon. The defensive back made plays all over the field, including a sack and three QB hits on well-timed blitzes. Get to know the name, if you don't already. Jason Myers (Seahawks): Seattle's longtime kicker made five field goals (Super Bowl record), had 17 points (Super Bowl record) and finished the season with 206 total points (NFL record), breaking LaDainian Tomlinson's previous mark of 198. Michael Dickson (Seahawks): 7 punts, 335 yards (47.9 average). Three were downed inside the 6-yard line. Two were returned… for four total yards. He's the highest-paid punter in football ($4.05 million per year) and he showed why on Sunday. Christian Gonzalez (Patriots): New England's Pro-Bowl cornerback was spectacular in defeat, breaking up every pass that came his way… in jaw-dropping fashion. His final line: 22 coverage snaps, 2 targets, 2 forced incompletions. What are the odds? The Seahawks are one of the unlikeliest championship teams ever when judging by preseason title odds (60-1). In fact, the only U.S. pro sports teams to overcome longer preseason odds and win a championship were the 1999 St. Louis Rams (150-1), the 1991 Minnesota Twins (80-1) and the 2003 Florida Marlins (75-1). Yes, but: This was no Cinderella story. While the Seahawks didn't garner much preseason hype, they quickly emerged as a juggernaut and were considered legitimate contenders for much of the year. In the end, Seattle won 17 of their 20 games and lost three by a combined nine points, putting them in elite company among some of the best NFL teams ever assembled. More Super Bowl 60: Darnold officially sheds the bust label Kubiak confirms he's taking Raiders job Five interesting prop bets that cashed   📸 THROUGH THE LENS SUPER BOWL SNAPSHOTS (Ishika Samant/Getty Images) Pregame: Picture perfect weather and a thrilling jet flyover — timed up beautifully to the end of Charlie Puth's rendition of the National Anthem — set the stage for Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Other performances: Green Day got things started with a medley of their hits, Brandi Carlile sang "America the Beautiful" and Coco Jones performed "Lift Every Voice and Sing." (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images) Halftime: Bad Bunny's celebrity-filled performance featured an elaborate set that transformed the field into his native Puerto Rico. In addition to cameos from the likes of Pedro Pascal and Ronald Acuña Jr., as well as a real wedding that took place live on stage, Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin both joined for guest singing appearances. A message of unity: The Grammy winner's final number concluded with him holding a football that read, "Together, we are America," while the scoreboard behind him read, "The only thing more powerful than hate is love." (Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images) Postgame: Thousands of Seattleites poured out of their respective bars and watch parties, and swiftly migrated to Pioneer Square to celebrate late into the evening. There will be a parade on Wednesday, but why wait to party? Live on the scene: "Bad Bunny beats filled the air with jubilation … With fireworks going off and car horns blaring, a dance party formed outside the Polymarket Portal, where fans in Seattle and Boston could see each other live." (Seattle Times)   🎿 MILAN CORTINA 2026 VONN BREAKS LEG IN HARROWING CRASH The moment just before Vonn's crash. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo) Lindsey Vonn's remarkable attempt to compete in the Olympics on a torn ACL ended in devastation on Sunday when she crashed just 13 seconds into her run, losing control after her pole clipped a gate. Heartbreaking scene: The event, later won by American Breezy Johnson, was halted for more than 20 minutes as Vonn, screaming in pain, was airlifted off the mountain. She underwent surgery for a fractured left leg (the same leg that was missing an ACL) and is reportedly in stable condition. From Yahoo Sports' Dan Wolken: It was devastating to watch, even more brutal to hear. For a nation that had become enraptured in Lindsey Vonn's comeback story, the helpless cries of pain as she lay on her back and as the mountain fell silent will be hard to erase from memory. Downhill skiing is often breathtaking. It is sometimes gruesome. And for the second time in nine days, the image of an American sports heroine being strapped to a board and lifted into a helicopter churned the stomach. But that's skiing down a mountain at 80 miles per hour. That's the risk Vonn signed up for when she decided to compete in an Olympics nine days after an ACL tear during a different competition in Switzerland. That's what happens sometimes when you go for it. And that's exactly what Vonn did. Like clockwork, there will undoubtedly be detractors who say Vonn shouldn't have tried something so dangerous, so audacious. But Vonn, 41, has lived her entire life audaciously. She also knows more about what can happen on a ski slope, for better and worse, than the rest of us put together. She understood what could happen. She deserved the chance. And now, only she can answer whether the consequences for her body were worth it. It's not our business.   🥇 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS: OLYMPICS EDITION (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) ⛸️ 50 years Ilia Malinin pulled off the first legal Olympic figure skating backflip in 50 years on Saturday — then landed another on Sunday — to help the Americans defend their gold medal in the Team Event with a narrow victory over Japan. Welcome back(flip): Backflips were banned from the Olympics for safety reasons after American skater Terry Kubicka became the first to pull one off in the 1976 Games. France's Surya Bonaly landed one illegally at Nagano 1998, receiving a deduction, before the ban was finally lifted in 2024. 📺 21.4 million viewers Friday's Opening Ceremony averaged 21.4 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, a 34% jump from the 2022 Beijing Olympics, which were the least-watched Winter Games in history. ICYMI: Some of the most memorable moments included musical performances from Mariah Carey and Andre Boceilli, a parade of colorful espresso makers in a nod to Italy's place in coffee culture, and "White Lotus" actress Sabrina Impacciatore's musical number depicting 100 years of Olympic history. (Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports) 🥇 13 completed events Norway is the early leader with three gold medals (men's skiathlon, men's 5000m speed skating, women's normal hill ski jump) out of the 13 events that were completed through Sunday, while host nation Italy has an Olympics-leading nine total medals (1 gold, 2 silver, 6 bronze). History in sight: Norway's Johannes Høsflot Klæbo (skiathlon) won his sixth gold medal, putting him just two shy of matching the record. With five events left, he could leave Italy as the winningest Winter Olympian ever. Some people are just built different. 💰 $23 million Eileen Gu, an American-born freestyle skier who competes for China, was the fourth highest-paid female athlete of 2025 with $23 million in earnings. According to Sportico, all but $20,000 of that came from endorsements. The social media age: While sponsorships have always been crucial to the earning potential of Olympic athletes, financial success no longer hinges on whose image lands on the Wheaties box. Now most of the action happens on social media, where Gu and her 2 million Instagram followers are near the top of the "influencer" food chain.   📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: MONDAY, FEB. 9 Chock and Bates celebrate after their dominant performance in the Team Event on Friday. (Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images) ⛸️ Figure Skating, Rhythm Dance Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates, skating partners since 2011 and married since 2024, kick off their Ice Dance competition today with the Rhythm Dance (1:20pm ET, USA). The duo already helped power Team USA to gold in the Team Event over the weekend. How it works: Rhythm Dance features performances of no more than 2 minutes, 50 seconds, set to this season's theme of "music, dance styles, and feeling of the 1990s." The second segment, Free Dance, is longer and has fewer restrictions. 🥌 Curling, Mixed Doubles Semifinals The final four take the ice this afternoon in Cortina (12pm, USA), where Team USA will face Italy in one semifinal and Great Britain will face Sweden in the other. Meet Team USA: Cory Thiesse (Duluth, Minnesota) and Korey Dropkin (Boston), former college classmates and curling partners since 2022, will contend for a medal after advancing to the semifinals for the first time in team history. 🏒 Women's Hockey, Prelims Team USA continues its quest for a third gold medal in today's match against Switzerland (2:40pm, USA) after dominating their first two games against Czechia and Finland by a combined score of 10-1. Collision course: Canada, the only other nation to win Olympic gold (five times), faces Czechia this afternoon (3:10pm, Peacock) before taking on the U.S. tomorrow in a potential preview of the gold-medal match. 🥇 Medal Events Austrian snowboarder Anna Gasser has won both Olympic gold medals in Women's Big Air since the event debuted in 2018. Can she make it 3-for-3 in her final Winter Games? 🎿 Skiing: Men's Team Combined, Slalom (8am, USA) ⛸️ Speed Skating: Women's 1000m (11:30am, USA) ⛷️ Ski Jumping: Men's Normal Hill (12pm, Peacock) 🏂 Snowboard: Women's Big Air (1:30pm, Peacock) Daily schedule. Koa Peat and Arizona are still perfect on the season. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images) More to watch: 🏀 NCAAM: No. 1 Arizona at No. 11 Kansas (9pm, ESPN) … The top-ranked Wildcats (23-0) are off to the best start in Big 12 history. 🏀 NBA: Thunder at Lakers (10pm, Peacock) … OKC is 0-2 since Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal strain) hit the injury report. 🏀 NCAAW: No. 16 Kentucky at No. 4 Texas (7:30pm, SEC); No. 11 Oklahoma at No. 7 Vanderbilt (9pm, ESPN2) … Four of the SEC's nine ranked teams. 🏒 NCAA Hockey: Boston University vs. Boston College (7:30pm, NHL) … The 73rd Beanpot Championship. ⛳️ TGL: The Bay vs. Los Angeles (7pm, ESPN2) … Luke Clanton, Neil Shipley and Min Woo Lee vs. Tommy Fleetwood, Tony Finau and Sahith Theegala. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events happening in your city.   🏆 21ST CENTURY SUPER BOWL TRIVIA (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) The Seahawks are one of nine NFL franchises to win multiple Super Bowls since the turn of the century (2000-present). Question: Can you name the other eight? Hint: Four AFC, four NFC.   🍿 BAKER'S DOZEN TOP PLAYS OF THE WEEKEND 🏈 Seahawks to the house 🏀 Luke out below! 🏀 Trimble wins it! 🏀 Miracle at the buzzer! ⚽️ Liverpool's wonder strike 🏈 Denied by Gonzalez ⛳️ Gotterup for the win 🏀 Castle times it perfectly 🏀 Anthony Edwards! 🏀 Backwards alley-oop 🥌 Triple takeout ⛳️ Scottie from a mile away 🏀 Insane Wemby sequence Watch all 13.   Trivia answer: Patriots (6x) Chiefs (3x), Buccaneers, Eagles, Giants, Rams, Ravens, Steelers (2x)

I didn't know that about insulin! Thanks for the info!!

The Auschwitz Survivor Who Became a Wall Street Legend Five powerful lessons from the life of Siggi Wilzig. https://aish.com/the-auschwitz-survivor-who-became-a-wall-street-legend/?

Minnesota child care providers try to make ends meet as immigrant families keep kids home Two weeks into January, the director of a St. Paul child care center called a family to ask why their daughter had been absent on-and-off since late last year. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/02/06/repub/minnesota-child-care-providers-try-to-make-ends-meet-as-immigrant-families-keep-kids-home/?

Looking into one of ICE’s biggest contractors: CoreCivic For years, private prison companies have been a key partner to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as the government carried out its immigration agenda. In 2025, they’ve been rapidly expanding, though they’re also facing pushback in several states. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/02/06/repub/looking-into-one-of-ices-biggest-contractors-corecivic/?

U.S. Reps. Maxwell Frost & Darren Soto tell Kristi Noem not to open ICE facility in Central Florida Two Democratic U.S. Reps. from Central Florida — Maxwell Frost and Darren Soto — have written a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons regarding speculation they will soon open an ICE detention center in Orlando. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/02/06/u-s-reps-maxwell-frost-darren-soto-tell-kristi-noem-not-to-open-ice-facility-in-central-florida/?

Does a shocking election result in Texas mean anything in Florida politics? In the suburbs of Fort Worth, Texas, on Jan. 31, a Democratic candidate named Taylor Rehmet won a special election for a state Senate district by 14 points. It was the same district Donald Trump won by 17 points in 2024 — a 31 point swing, the largest over-performance in a competitive special election since Trump took office a year ago. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/02/08/does-a-shocking-election-result-in-texas-mean-anything-in-florida-politics/? Do Florida public universities really embrace the Western Tradition? It’s a lousy time to be a kid in Florida. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/02/09/do-florida-public-universities-really-embrace-the-western-tradition/?

Humiliated Trump Tries to Steal Super Bowl Spotlight The president wasn’t in California for the highly anticipated event. President Donald Trump touted the supposed strength of America on Super Bowl Sunday—as he watched the game from the comfort of his Mar-a-Lago estate. “Enjoy the Super Bowl, America! Our Country is stronger, bigger, and better than ever before and, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!” he wrote in a Truth Social post on Sunday. Trump, who has been booed at myriad sporting events—including last year’s Super Bowl—wasn’t at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Instead, he attended a watch party at his private Mar-a-Lago golf club in Palm Beach, Florida. The president had previously said he wanted to attend the game but that it was “just too far away.” “I would go if, you know, it was a little bit shorter,” he added. But Zeteo learned that Trump’s officials and advisers were privately concerned about Trump getting booed at the biggest television event of the year. Last year’s event drew an estimated 127.7 million viewers, Nielsen reported, with similar numbers expected this year. Viral clips of the president being loudly booed by tens of thousands of spectators would be “another thing we don’t want right now,” one Trump adviser told the outlet. But even from thousands of miles away, the president still managed to court controversy as the Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots, 29-13. For months, MAGA had been in full-on meltdown mode over the NFL’s choice of Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny, 31, to headline the Super Bowl halftime performance. Born Benito Martinez Ocasio, Bad Bunny was Spotify’s most-streamed artist of 2025 and made history at this year’s Grammy Awards when he won album of the year for his Spanish-language Debí Tirar Mas Fotos. His halftime performance pulled from the Debí Tirar Mas Fotos world tour and celebrated Latin American culture beneath a billboard that read, “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.” Trump called the performance a “slap in the face to our country.” “The Super Bowl Halftime Show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER!” he complained in a Truth Social post. “It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence.” But unlike his speech at the Grammy’s, Bad Bunny’s performance didn’t explicitly denounce the president’s immigration policy. Instead, he invited the audience to rejoice in the pan-American culture the Trump administration has demonized and even drove home his point about love and unity with an actual wedding. Some of the president’s own supporters worried about him taking such an aggressive stand against the show, considering the administration is hemorrhaging support among Latinos, Politico reported. The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment. https://www.thedailybeast.com/humiliated-trump-tries-to-steal-super-bowl-spotlight/?