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Colbert Exposes CBS for Collaborating With the Trump Administration
New Republic • Feb 17, 2026

Colbert Exposes CBS for Collaborating With the Trump Administration

The Late Show’s Stephen Colbert called out CBS on Monday for blocking his interview with a political candidate—and figured out a sneaky way around the Federal Communications Commission’s new rule targeting late-night talk shows, according to Deadline.Colbert made the unprecedented move Monday to introduce his late-night talk show guest—who would not be joining him: James Talarico, a Democratic Senate primary candidate from Texas.“He was supposed to be here, but we were told in no uncertain terms by our network’s lawyers, who called us directly, that we could not have him on the broadcast,” Colbert explained. “Then I was told, in some uncertain terms, that not only could I not have him on, I could not mention me not having him on.“And because my network clearly does not want us to talk about this,” Colbert said, “let’s talk about this.”In January, the FCC published new guidance stating daytime and late-night talk shows were not exempt from the rule requiring them to provide equal time for candidates across the political spectrum. They had previously been spared under an exemption for “bona fide news.”The FCC claimed it had “not been presented with any evidence” that any television talk show currently on air would qualify for the bona fide news exemption, nor would any program “motivated by partisan purposes.”Colbert referred to a clip of FCC Chair Brendan Carr—a helpful lackey for President Donald Trump’s crackdown on free speech—discussing Colbert and fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. “If Kimmel or Colbert want to continue to do their programming, and they don’t want to have to comply with this requirement, then they can go to a cable channel or a podcast or a streaming service, and that’s fine,” Carr said.So Colbert took his advice and posted his interview with Talarico straight to YouTube.“This is the interview Donald Trump didn’t want you to see,” Talarico wrote in a post on X Tuesday. “His FCC refused to air my interview with Stephen Colbert. Trump is worried we’re about to flip Texas.”ABC’s The View is currently under investigation by the FCC for speaking with Talarico.

Trump Uses Civil Rights Leader Jesse Jackson’s Death to Attack Obama
New Republic • Feb 17, 2026

Trump Uses Civil Rights Leader Jesse Jackson’s Death to Attack Obama

President Trump used the death of civil right activist Jesse Jackson to take a cheap shot at former President Barack Obama—and to pat himself on the back for not being racist.“The Reverend Jesse Jackson is Dead at 84. I knew him well, long before becoming President. He was a good man, with lots of personality, grit, and ‘street smarts.’ He was very gregarious - Someone who truly loved people! Despite the fact that I am falsely and consistently called a Racist by the Scoundrels and Lunatics on the Radical Left, Democrats ALL, it was always my pleasure to help Jesse along the way,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Tuesday morning. “Jesse was a force of nature like few others before him,” he continued. “He had much to do with the Election, without acknowledgment or credit, of Barack Hussein Obama, a man who Jesse could not stand. He loved his family greatly, and to them I send my deepest sympathies and condolences. Jesse will be missed! President DONALD J. TRUMP.” Jackson, a Martin Luther King Jr. protege perhaps best known for his Rainbow/PUSH Coalition activism of the 80s and 90s, passed away early Tuesday morning at the age of 84. A cause of death was not given but his family said he died peacefully surrounded by loved ones.And while the president is not exaggerating about his past relationship with Jackson, his family put out a much more thoughtful public eulogy. “Our father was a servant leader—not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” their statement read. “We shared him with the world, and in return the world became part of our extended family.” And for what it’s worth, Jackson and Obama did have a contentious relationship at times. While Jackson was an early supporter of Obama’s, he was very critical of his lack of emphasis on Black issues, accusing the then-senator in 2007 of “acting like he’s white” with his weak response to the overcharging of six Black teenagers in the Jena 6 case. (He later said his comments were taken out of context.) And in 2008, Jackson was overheard on a hot mic chastising Obama for his rightward shift, saying, “See, Barack’s been, ahh, talking down to black people on this faith-based ... I want to cut his nuts off.”He endorsed Obama nonetheless, crying when he learned that he would become the first Black president. He then endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Bernie Sanders in 2020. This story has been updated.

Louisiana Bets Big on “Blue Ammonia.” Communities Along Cancer Alley Brace for the Cost.
Mother Jones • Feb 17, 2026

Louisiana Bets Big on “Blue Ammonia.” Communities Along Cancer Alley Brace for the Cost.

This story is from Floodlight, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates the powers stalling climate action. Sign up for Floodlight’s newsletter here. From her home in Donaldsonville, La., less than three miles from the world’s largest ammonia plant, Ashley Gaignard says the air itself carries a chemical edge.  The odor, she said, is sharp and lingering. […]

John Fetterman Hits New Low in Quest for Donald Trump’s Approval
New Republic • Feb 17, 2026

John Fetterman Hits New Low in Quest for Donald Trump’s Approval

Ex-progressive Senator John Fetterman is bucking his party yet again, but this time the fallout could drastically impact the results of future elections.The Pennsylvania turncoat came out in favor of voter ID legislation, revealing that he would support a clean bill if it required voters to show identification before they cast their ballot. The issue is currently gaining momentum in the Senate under the banner of the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE, Act. Democrats have branded the voter restriction initiative “Jim Crow 2.0”“I would never refer to the SAVE Act as like Jim Crow 2.0 or some kind of mass conspiracy,” Fetterman told Fox News’ Kayleigh McEnany. “But that’s part of the debate that we were having here in the Senate right now. And I don’t call people names or imply that it’s something gross about the terrible history of Jim Crow.”The SAVE Act would require Americans to present their birth certificate or passport in order to register to vote, and would further require voters to bring physical identification with them to the ballot box.That’s not only completely unnecessary considering that it’s already illegal for nonvoters to participate in U.S. elections, but could also prove disastrous for married women, adding additional hurdles for individuals who have changed their names since their birth certificate was issued.Donald Trump already tried and failed to implement voter ID in June. At the time, a federal judge excoriated the president’s efforts, arguing that adding layers of difficulty to the voting process would only serve to harm eligible voters by adding significant barriers before they can cast their ballots.Since he lost the 2020 election, Trump and his allies have obsessed over contrived claims of voter fraud—a statistical nonissue in U.S. elections. For instance, a statewide audit out of Georgia, the epicenter of Trump’s baseless theory, revealed in September that just 20 noncitizens out of 8.2 million residents existed on the state’s voter roll, just 0.00024 percent of the state’s voting population. Out of those 20, only nine participated in elections, years ago, before ID was required as a part of the voter verification process. The other 11 individuals were registered but never actually voted, according to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.But Fetterman—who mind-bogglingly ran on the progressive ticket—has had a penchant for Trumpian politics since he moved to Washington.“It’s not like a radical idea,” Fetterman told Fox. “It’s not something—and there already are many states that show basic IDs. So that’s where we are in the Senate.”Critics argue that restrictions on the front end of the electoral process—such as one-day voting, mail-in ballots, and requiring day-of voter ID—would minimize voter turnout and limit the American democracy’s ability to represent its constituents. This would especially be true in high-density areas like the nation’s biggest cities, where those stipulations would significantly drain resources (i.e., by increasing the number of volunteers required) and require more time to process, potentially leading to more delays that Republicans could weaponize to further restrict voter access.

When ICE Agents Lie: DOJ Drops Charges Against 2 Minneapolis Men Falsely Accused of Attempted Murder
Democracy Now • Feb 17, 2026

When ICE Agents Lie: DOJ Drops Charges Against 2 Minneapolis Men Falsely Accused of Attempted Murder

Two ICE officers have been placed on administrative leave and are accused of lying under oath about an incident in Minneapolis last month involving two Venezuelan immigrants, one of whom was shot in the leg by an agent. After the incident, the two Venezuelan men, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, were charged with felony assault, falsely accused of beating an ICE officer with a broom and snow shovel. Sosa-Celis was shot in the right thigh. While the Department of Homeland Security originally claimed the two men had attacked the agent, video evidence and witness testimonies contradicted the accusations. Federal prosecutors in Minneapolis last week dropped the felony assault charges against Aljorna and Sosa-Celis. Criminal defense attorney Frederick Goetz, who represents Aljorna, says the admission of wrongdoing is “unusual” given that the Justice Department has been zealous in carrying out President Trump’s anti-immigration agenda. It was “not only a dismissal, but a dismissal with prejudice, meaning that my client can never be charged again for anything to do with this incident,” says Goetz.

The Next 3 Billion on Tour Series: Nairobi Edition | Semafor Events
Semafor Podcasts • Feb 17, 2026

The Next 3 Billion on Tour Series: Nairobi Edition | Semafor Events

Jesse Jackson's Legacy: From Marching with MLK to Building the Rainbow Coalition
Democracy Now • Feb 17, 2026

Jesse Jackson's Legacy: From Marching with MLK to Building the Rainbow Coalition

We look back on the life and legacy of civil rights icon Reverend Jesse Jackson, who died Tuesday at the age of 84. From marching with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to building the Rainbow Coalition in his two presidential runs and beyond, “Jackson’s life contributed to making this country more democratic, more inclusive, more fair,” says Howard University political science professor Clarence Lusane. We also speak with activist Larry Hamm, who co-chaired Jackson’s 1988 presidential campaign in New Jersey. Hamm first met Jackson in 1971 and says he was “audacious” above all else. “Jesse knew his place in history,” says Hamm.

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