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Great News That Already Ruined Trump’s Week—and It’s Only Monday

Between Obama’s sharp rebuke, DHS collapsing under Kristi Noem, and Democrats refusing to be bullied, the resistance is winning

Scott Dworkin Feb 16

With all of Trump’s chaos, I’m glad to have today’s great news for you. I hope it gives you some relief—even if just for a moment. Don’t forget to hit the ❤️ like and restack buttons to help these stories break through the noise.

Thanks for being here. Let’s jump in.

OBAMA PUSHES BACK

In a recently released interview, former President Barack Obama said Trump’s abuse of power is “deeply concerning and dangerous ... the sort of behavior that we’ve seen in authoritarian countries and we’ve seen in dictatorships, but we have not seen in America.”

His blistering comments came as Trump has been raging at Republicans who dared to criticize a racist video he posted about the Obamas. Trump even reportedly said that GOP Sen. Katie Britt was “dead” to him after she condemned it.

“This sort of clown show that’s happening in social media and on television,” Obama stated, is nothing more than a “distraction.”

It’s nice to hear from a real president instead of the unhinged madman with a broken brain currently occupying the White House.

DEMS DRAW HARD LINES

When Trump tried to indict Rep. Jason Crow—who was one of six lawmakers in a video reminding troops not to follow illegal orders—his response was not diplomatic. It was fire: “If these f**kers think they are going to bully and intimidate me, they have another thing coming.”

Rep. Angie Craig from Minnesota said: “Democrats need to hold the line ... I will not forgive anyone who doesn’t stand their ground at this moment in time and I don’t think the American people will either.”

To elected officials thinking about compromising and letting Trump’s ICE continue to invade our communities and attack people—Craig is saying your political career is on the line if you fold.

The shift is real. Democrats are fighting back. And any who aren’t, will be left behind. As they should be.

KRISTI NOEM UNRAVELS IN REAL TIME

Failing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem held a propaganda press conference in Phoenix, Arizona this week. It was supposed to be about election security. Instead, it exposed how dysfunctional her time in the role has been.

A reporter asked a simple question about a bizarre incident where Customs and Border Protection used an anti-drone laser to shoot down party balloons, forcing a shutdown of El Paso’s airspace.

Noem’s “response” was absolute gibberish: “You know, this was a joint agency task force mission that was undertaken, and we’re continuing to work on the communication through that.” She then immediately ended the presser—no real answer, no explanation, just a quick exit while her staff desperately tried to shut everything down.

There’s a reason she’s cracking—her department is completely out of control and she knows it. ICE agents killed American citizens under her watch, and she’s done nothing about it.

But you know who DHS did hold accountable? A pilot who was fired after Noem left her blanket behind when switching planes. As Rep. Eric Swalwell put it: “ICE agents shot Alex Pretti and Renee Good. And the only person in the world who has been held accountable by DHS is the pilot who somehow forgot to move Kristi Noem’s blankie.”

Noem is clearly in over her head—which is why there are now 187 co-sponsors in the House for articles of impeachment against her. Momentum we’ve built in just over a month with nearly 50,000 letters and calls from readers like you.

EPSTEIN ACCOUNTABILITY BEGINS

I’ve investigated Jeffrey Epstein for a decade now, and seen almost no one linked to him held accountable—until now.

The dominoes are beginning to fall: Norway’s former Prime Minister was criminally charged, a now-former Prince had his title stripped, the CEO of DP World stepped down, Goldman Sachs’ top lawyer abruptly resigned, and a Hollywood mogul is being forced to sell his business over it. It’s a start.

Even some Republicans have turned on Trump due to his own Epstein ties. Rep. Thomas Massie said: “Donald Trump told us … that he would be transparent. But he’s not. He’s still in with the Epstein class. This is the Epstein administration.”

Justice is moving slowly, but it’s not stopping. The walls are closing in, so let’s keep the pressure on.

BERNIE TAKES ON THE OLIGARCHY IN NC

A large crowd packed the Durham Convention Center on Friday in North Carolina to join Sen. Bernie Sanders for his “Fighting Oligarchy Tour.”

“We’re here in Durham today to say loudly and clearly that we believe in democracy. Not billionaires buying elections, not efforts to divide us up,” Sanders told the fired-up audience. “We’re going to bring our people together in the fight for economic, racial, social, and environmental justice.”

Sanders painted a vivid picture of who we need in elected office right now: “We need people who have the courage and the boldness to take on Trumpism, to take on oligarchy and to fight for the working class.”

That’s exactly what we’re doing here. While corporate media chases Trump’s latest manufactured crisis, we’re tracking the real resistance—and leading it.

We run some of the biggest Contact Congress and social media campaigns against Trump ever, on top of our daily reporting. All of it is reader-funded. No ads. No billionaires. No nonsense.

Join our movement as a paid subscriber today and keep our momentum going:

Onward,

Scott

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Today I have two questions for you:

Which lawmaker has impressed you most in regards to fighting Trump?

Do you agree with Rep. Craig that Democrats who compromise with Trump on ICE will pay a political price?

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JUST A FEW OF MANY COMMENTS:

LOTS OF WELL INFORMED COMMENTS WORTH READING!

DEMOCRACY LABS issues a daily review and has done an overwhelming job reporting on EPSTEIN, among other issues like the REPUBLICAN DONOR who got the NEW CANADA BRIDGE closed -- he owns a TOLL BRIDGE - the one that causes traffic delays...JUST MORE TRUMP GRIFT! The REPUBLICAN PARTY received its BRIBE to oppose the BRIDGE - GOP always for SALE. 

I also encourage others to subscribe to or at leasr peek at: OLGA LAUTMAN's TRUMP'S TYRANY TRACKER. 

JUST A SAMPLING:  excerpts: 

By the Numbers

2/17 — Next nationwide National Day of Action

$50 million+ — Already raised by the AI-backed super PAC Leading the Future to elect Congress members who will block regulations

16 of 27 — NIH institutes/centers without permanent directors

4,400+ — Federal rulings since October finding ICE detentions unlawful

20,000+ — Habeas petitions filed seeking release from immigration detention

68,000 — People held in ICE detention this month

9 — Migrants secretly disappeared to Cameroon despite court protections

$40 million — Spent on around 300 third-country deportations (per Senate Dem report)

1,000+ — Confirmed measles cases nationwide in early 2026

60+ — Measles cases at Ave Maria University in Florida

21 — States with confirmed measles cases

~3% — 90+ day delinquency rate among the same group by the end of 2025

What to Watch Next

Trump is laying the groundwork to go after Social Security and Medicare — How soon before seniors and disabled Americans feel the full impact?

ICE is violating American citizen rights — How far will the regime be allowed to go in bypassing due process and constitutional protections?

ICE continues defying court-ordered releases — How long before judges escalate sanctions or hold DHS in contempt?

Secret third-country deportations expand — What undisclosed deals are being cut, and who is targeted next?

Trump threatens an executive order on voting — Will Trump attempt executive action and trigger new constitutional challenges?

SAVE database failures persist — Will states keep blocking voters first and verifying citizenship later as the midterm approaches?

NIH leadership vacancies deepen — Which loyalists are installed, and which research priorities are sidelined or politicized?

DHS “less-lethal” force escalates — Will body-camera mandates, DOJ reviews, or state injunctions rein in lawless federal agents?

ICE operations near schools continue — Will states and districts move to bar enforcement around schools and bus stops?

Pentagon targets military education — As more universities are added to the list, will Congress act or stay silent?

Epstein files, no U.S. reckoning — Will public pressure finally force some kind of accountability in the U.S.?

 Key Takeaways

Trump’s Economic Warfare — His erratic tariff policies are pushing the U.S. into a recession or worse and destabilizing the economy, as prices rise and the job market weakens.

Lawlessness as Governance — Court rulings against the regime are increasingly ignored, normalizing a system where legality is optional, and the regime moves forward regardless of judicial limits.

Detention as Policy Infrastructure — Immigration enforcement now operates as a parallel system built on secret transfers, third-country dumping, and the quiet disappearance of people.

Voter Suppression — Claims of “election integrity” are being used to justify bad data, federal pressure, and procedural choke points that restrict access to the ballot rather than protect it.

Policing as Counterinsurgency — Protest is increasingly met with militarized tactics and so-called “less lethal” weapons, normalizing state violence against dissent.

Selective Accountability — Consequences are harsh for the vulnerable and nonexistent for elites, even when evidence of abuse or criminal conduct is public and well documented.

Coercion as a Governing Tool — Funding, data systems, detention authority, and enforcement powers are being weaponized to force compliance across institutions and communities.

Corruption as Operating System — Money flows, influence campaigns, and state power now reinforce one another, fusing corruption with power consolidation.

Epstein files fallout takes down elite figures in Europe, while U.S. reckoning is muted

What Happened: Newly released Epstein documents have led to resignations, firings, and criminal investigations across Europe, including former British ambassador Peter Mandelson and senior officials in France and Norway. In the U.S., powerful figures named in the files, including Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, have remained in place, facing no professional consequences.

Why It Matters: European institutions are imposing accountability while U.S. political and donor networks remain insulated. Associations with a convicted sex trafficker and pedophile have produced few consequences for those close to power, reinforcing a two-tier system shaped by influence and proximity to the presidency and power.

Source: NPR

In Weaponization of Institutions News

Courts have ruled 4,400 times that ICE jailed people illegally. It hasn’t stopped.

What Happened: Federal judges have ruled more than 4,400 times since October that the Trump administration is illegally detaining immigrants. Despite these decisions, ICE has continued to hold people without bond, ignore release orders, and force detainees to file more than 20,000 habeas corpus lawsuits, as detention levels climb to roughly 68,000 nationwide.

Why It Matters: Continuing detention after courts declare it unlawful weakens habeas corpus and strains the judicial system. When executive agencies disregard court rulings at scale, immigration enforcement shifts toward indefinite detention with limited legal restraint.

Source: Reuters

U.S. Deports Nine Migrants in Secret, Ignoring Legal Protections

What Happened: Trump officials secretly disappeared 9 migrants to Cameroon in January, even though none were from that country and most had U.S. court orders blocking their removal. The migrants were shackled, flown out without notice, and detained in a state-run facility where they were told they could leave only if they agreed to return to the countries they fled.

Why It Matters: Migrants with court-ordered protections are being secretly disappeared and sent to third countries through undisclosed arrangements, bypassing asylum law and due process. The result is a hidden deportation system that operates outside judicial oversight and forces people back into dangerous situations.

Source: New York Times

Broken bones, burning eyes: How Trump's DHS deploys 'less lethal' weapons on protesters

What Happened: Department of Homeland Security officers repeatedly used so-called “less lethal” weapons—including rubber bullets, pepper spray, tear gas, flash bang grenades, and vehicle ramming—against protesters nationwide in ways courts say violated DHS policy and basic policing standards. Judges in at least four states found federal agents used force indiscriminately, injuring hundreds as heavily armed immigration officers escalated rather than de-escalated confrontations.

Why It Matters: Federal forces continue to be used to suppress protests. Normalizing military-style tactics against civilians exercising First Amendment rights erodes constitutional protections, chills dissent, and reaffirms that federal agents are allowed to operate with impunity.

Source: NBC News

Government Services Disruption and Collapse Watch

US spent $40 million on roughly 300 deportations to third nations, Democratic report finds

What Happened: Trump officials spent at least $40 million to deport roughly 300 migrants to third countries instead of their home nations, according to a Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democratic report. Payments of up to $7.5 million went to countries including El Salvador, Rwanda, and Equatorial Guinea, with some migrants later deported again to their actual countries of origin at additional cost.

Why It Matters: The regime is wasting tens of millions of taxpayer dollars on opaque, poorly monitored deportations that violate due process, expose migrants to abuse, and often fail even on their own terms—turning immigration enforcement into a wasteful, lawless contracting scheme with vulnerable people caught in the middle.

Source: Associated Press

New U.S. Boat Strike Kills 3 in the Caribbean

What Happened: A U.S. military strike destroyed a boat in the Caribbean Sea, killing three people. The strike was the first in the region since November and brings the five-month total to at least 133 deaths across 39 disclosed attacks.

Why It Matters: Legal experts warn the U.S. military has no authority to use lethal force against civilians engaged in alleged criminal activity absent an imminent threat, making these strikes illegal under international law — and signaling a dangerous normalization of summary execution far beyond traditional battlefields.

Source: New York Times

COMMON DREAMS offered this article about KRISTI NOEM & COREY LEWANDOWSKI CORRUPTION that is costing taxpayers GOBS OF MONEY! 

‘Most Vile Scumbags on Earth’: Critics Appalled by Explosive Report on Kristi Noem’s Corruption

“Noem and Lewandowski are like the most toxic couple you have ever met given full rein of a government agency.”

Brad Reed

Feb 13, 2026

https://www.commondreams.org/news/kristi-noem-corruption-wsj?utm_source=Common+Dreams&utm_campaign=3dab6f835f-Week+In+Review%3A+Sat.+1%2F24%2F26_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-59f0163267-600713157