IN CASE OF A HIT-AND-RUN ACCIDENT OR OTHER CRIMES, THIS WILL PREVENT COPS FROM IDENTIFYING THE OFFENDER DRIVING AN UNREGISTERED VEHICLE

Texas DMV approves new photo ID rule for vehicle registration, blocking undocumented immigrants 

 

By Joe Kelley

 

NewsRadio 1080 KRLD 

Feb 18, 2026

 

 

 

 

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles board voted unanimously Thursday to formally adopt new identification requirements for vehicle registration statewide — codifying a controversial policy that has already upended the auto industry, divided county officials, and sparked a heated public debate about immigration and road safety.

The DMV board unanimously voted to pass the new identification requirements on February 13, 2026. The push for the guidelines began in November 2025, when the agency quietly sent guidance to county tax offices and vehicle dealers requiring valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID for all new registrations and renewals — effective immediately.

The DMV's approved list of acceptable identification includes a Texas driver's license, unexpired U.S. passport, Texas License to Carry identification, and IDs issued by the U.S. military, the Department of Homeland Security, Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the Department of State. Valid visas and permanent resident cards are also accepted. The rule effectively bars undocumented immigrants, who cannot obtain those documents, from legally registering vehicles in Texas.

The effort was driven by State Rep. Brian Harrison, R-Midlothian, who repeatedly demanded the DMV change its policy, alleging undocumented immigrants were making roads less safe and driving up car insurance premiums. After Thursday's vote, Harrison claimed credit, writing on social media that he was "proud to have forced the DMV to stop allowing illegal aliens to register vehicles in Texas" and calling it "insane this was happening for so many years."

The rule has not gone unchallenged. During a public hearing in January, the DMV heard testimony opposing the plan from around 35 people representing small businesses, industry groups, county tax assessor offices, and advocacy organizations from across the state. No one spoke in support during the two-hour hearing.

Some business owners, especially those serving predominantly Hispanic communities, testified they have been losing customers since the DMV's November guidance went out, with clients planning to register vehicles under someone else's name or in another state. One Houston small business owner said her revenue dropped 45 percent in November alone.

Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector Celia Israel has been the most prominent county official to resist the rule. "I wholeheartedly disagree with this rule and will not enforce this rule until it is properly authorized," Israel said during the January hearing. She warned the policy could lead to more fraud and uninsured drivers, not fewer. Israel previously argued the ID requirement was not part of state law — a point the DMV disputed, saying it followed all required procedures before Thursday's final board vote. As of Thursday, it was unclear whether Israel's office would comply now that the board has formally acted.

Critics also warn the policy could backfire on road safety. Tyler Simmons, a Texas Independent Automobile Dealers Association board member, told the DMV board: "By preventing lawful registration rules, it increases the number of unregistered, uninsured drivers in the state of Texas, while hurting regulated, tax-paying small businesses."

NYC PROPERTY CONFISCATION COMING ?

By Bob Walsh

 

Midland Beach is a quiet Staten Island neighborhood.

 

 

The Communist mayor of New York City is proposing a 9.5% property tax in New York City.  This is apparently something he can do more-or-less by himself.  He doesn't need the county or the state to say he can.  He has said he "needs" more money and that this is a way, maybe THE way, to do it.

Is this a deliberate attempt at constructive confiscation of private residential property?  A fair number of people seem to think so.  Will this result in Staten Island attempting to seceed from the city?  Clearly Mamdani and his road dogs have no trouble with the concept.  

Staten Island has a very high level of actual ownership of private residences, by far the highest in the city.  Is there any mechanism for them to do it?  I really have no idea.

A lot of people are getting ready to say I TOLD YOU SO.  

STUPID? UNLUCKY? MAYBE A BIT OF BOTH

By Bob Walsh

 

This image provided by the Nevada County Sheriff's Office shows members of a rescue team in Soda Springs, California, on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026.

 

A group of 16 cross-country skiers got caught in an avalanche a couple of days ago in the Sierra Nevada near Frog Lake.  The group included 4 professional guides.  Nine are still missing.  It has been difficult to get rescuers to them without the risk of triggering more avalanche activity.

Maybe it is just me and I am too old and careful.  I am not sure I would have gone out in an area like that during what was known to be a major oncoming storm.  In my limited experience with cross-country skiing it is engaged in primarily by fitness junkies and sight-seers and not adrenaline freaks.  Any trip into the wilderness has some risk attached to it.  That being said had I been in a situation where I was considering such an excursion I would not have engaged in it with that storm coming in just from a personal safety prospective.

They were a good size group.  Professional guides.  Good communications and emergency alarms.  But still......

I AM NOT SURE I WOULD HAVE RELEASED THAT

By Bob Walsh

Pacemaker monitor

 

Apparently the authorities in Arizona who are looking for Nancy Guthrie are using a sophisticated electronic device that can track the signals of her pacemaker.  I am not sure I would have let that bit of information out to the general public.  Assuming she is still alive it could be hazardous to her health.  Maybe I am just a worrier.

THIS STINKS, BUT NOT FOR THE REASON YOU MIGHT THINK

By Bob Walsh

 

Ian Choudri’s high-speed rail project has seen cost increases and delays. 

 

Ian Choudri is the CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority.  He just put himself on administrative leave.  It seems that on February 3 the Folsom P D showed up at his house in response to an anonymous 911 call.  It seems that he and his fiancee, Lyudmyla Starostyuk, were involved in a nothingburger domestic that allegedly involved some yelling and Choudri pulling her daughter's hair.  Daughter's name and age were not specified.

Both were arrested on misdemeanor battery.  No charges were filed, neither was asked to appear in court, the cops consider the matter to be closed.  So far, so good.  Choudri put himself on admin leave on Tuesday. February 17, one day after news of the arrest became public.

The truly interesting thing is that it turns out his fiancee, Ms. Starostyuk, has recently come on board with KPMG, a financial services group that is giving advice to the HSRA.  She is now an advisory manager to the HSRA.  The company has a $24 million contract with HSRA.  

Ms. Starostyuk previously was a professor in the business school at an unnamed university in Denver.

Neither the HSRA nor Ms. Starostyuk's lawyer responded to questions from the media about possible conflicts of interest or notices about potential conflicts.

The feds are currently looking into the HSRA for possible financial irregularities.  This investigation pre-dates Choudri's arrest.  

QUESTION OF THE DAY: WHAT DOES LEWANDOWSKI DO IN HIS DHS POSITIOM OTHER THAN SHACK UO WITH NOEM?

 By Howie Katz

 

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and adviser Corey Lewandowski are pictured during a visit to Guatemala in June. Lewandowski also accompanied Noem to Columbia last March.

 

When Kristy Noem was governor of South Dakota, Corey Lewandowski was her adviser. They spent so much time together, including during out-of-state trips, that the word got around that they were lovers. Both denied the allegations. 

When Trump was elected President in 2024, Lewandowski got him to appoint Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security, a critical position for which she was not qualified.

 

Corey Lewandowski was caught sneaking out of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's apartment complex clutching a duffel bag during the early morning of April 2025.

 

Lewandowski has since described himself as Noem's chief of staff although he is only an advisor to her. They have made several trips together to foreign countries and he has been caught sneaking out of her apartment. Despite their denials, it seems obvious that Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski are lovers.

That begs the question: What does Lewandowski do in his DHS position other than fuck Noem? 

OBAMA'S EYESORE PRESIDENTIAL CENTER IN CHICAGO IS A REFLECTION OF ONE OF AMERICA'S WORST PRESIDENTS

Barack Obama blasted for 'headache-inducing' latest addition to his sinister-looking Chicago presidential library

 

By Rachel Bowman

 

Daily Mail

Feb 17, 2026 

 

 

The exterior of the museum building has been labeled 'headache-inducing' and an 'eye-sore' for featuring text of a speech that is difficult to read 

 

Barack Obama is facing backlash for the latest 'headache-inducing' addition to his Chicago presidential library. 

Scheduled to open in June, the Obama Presidential Center consists of several buildings sprawled across a 20-acre campus within Chicago's historic Jackson Park. 

Among the amenities is an eight-story museum made of granite that stands at 225 feet tall, featuring four floors of exhibits from the Obama presidency and a Sky Room observation deck.

Large art installations will line the interior of the tower, including a including an 83-foot-tall abstract glass work collage inspired by African and American history and art history created by Julie Mehretu.

The exterior of the museum building will feature words taken from President Obama’s speech marking the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery marches.

However, the museum building was recently blasted on social media after an architecture critic pointed out that the text engraved on the outside is difficult to read. 

The text is engraved across two sides of the building, meaning viewers looking at it from one angle find that it has mismatched run-over lines.

Others agreed, writing that the looming, concrete and granite building's design is an 'eye-sore' and gave them a 'headache' while looking at it. 

Barack Obama is facing criticism for the latest addition to his presidential center that is schedule to open in June

 

The quote from his 2015 speech is: 'You are America. Unconstrained by habit and convention. Unencumbered by what is, ready to seize what ought to be. For everywhere in this country, there are first steps to be taken, there is new ground to cover, there are more bridges to be crossed. 

'America is not the project of any one person. The single most powerful word in our democracy is the word "We." "We The People." "We Shall Overcome." "Yes We Can." That word is owned by no one. It belongs to everyone. Oh, what a glorious task we are given to continually try to improve this great nation of ours.' 

However, Chicago Sun-Times critic Lee Bay wrote on LinkedIn that the quote looks like 'dummy' placeholder text rather than the quote when written out on the building.

'I'm outside the Obama Center museum tower right now. The new letters - an excerpt from Obama's Selma speech - are a tough read to me, giving off the lorem ipsum vibes,' Bay wrote.

Other social media users agreed, saying something about the design looked off to them. 

'I gave up after developing a headache three lines from the top,' one person wrote on X. 'The dyslexic in me is not amused,' another person wrote. 

'It's like a Klingon prison,' a second person added, comparing the building to a penal colony from Star Trek. 'It looks like a super max prison,' wrote a fourth.

A fifth person wrote, 'Not ideal. It looks horrible. Chicago the City of great architecture. Just sad.' 

 

The text is engraved across two sides of the building, meaning viewers looking at it from one angle find that it has mismatched run-over lines

'My eyes still can’t track it with the tight leading, the broken words, and the lines between. Horrible,' wrote another. 

Some people defended the design, saying they liked it and insisting it looks better from in the air.

'I noticed when I was in the air that the sentences wrap around the west and south sides of the building, and looks decent in a very specific spot on the ground or very good from the air, but like that’s not an ideal design in my opinion,' one person wrote.

'It actually does look good. Love or hate the guy, at least the presidential library will have a nice park for people to walk through,' a second person wrote.

Despite the concerns over its design, the CEO of the Obama Foundation, Valerie Jarrett, told CBS News Chicago in December that they are excited to open their doors.

Jarrett explained how this investment and project will demonstrate how diversity can 'better represent the community in which we're located and be a national model for how you can be inclusive and have a world-class product and a world-class operation.'

She also told the outlet that contracting with racially diverse businesses is a priority.

'Because we believe inclusion is actually a strength,' Jarrett said.

 

The Barack Obama Presidential Center has cost upwards of $850 million to construct

 

Jarrett, who grew up near the project, added that it's personally satisfying that the Obamas chose her community to invest in.

The foundation center has cost upwards of $850 million to construct.

'I hope they not only learn about President Obama and the people upon whose shoulders he stands, but also a little bit something about themselves and how they can go and bring change home to their own communities, and everyone can do something to be a force for good,' Jarrett said.

Daily Mail contacted the Obama Foundation for comment. 

AND THEY SAID BIDEN WAS SENILE ..... SINCE TRUMP WAS ON AIR FORCE 1 WHEN HE SUFFERED HIS MEMORY LOSS, HE CAN BLAME IT ON ALTITUDE SICKNESS

Trump roasted for blanking on prized pick to replace MTG: 'He has no memory'

 

By Jon Michael Raasch 

 

Daily Mail

Feb 17, 2026

 

President Donald Trump, 79, told reporters on Monday he has to choose someone to endorse in Georgia's 14th congressional district race to replace ex-Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. However, just 13 days before the president had already endorsed Clay Fuller for the job

 

President Donald Trump is getting slammed for not remembering that he already backed a candidate to replace former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene in the open congressional seat in northern Georgia. 

'Well we have a lot of people that want to take Marjorie 'traitor' Greene's place,' Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday evening. 

'Many, many candidates, and I have to choose one,' the president continued. 

The president's remarks immediately confounded some viewers since he endorsed Clay Fuller for open House of Representatives seat earlier this month. 

'It is my Great Honor to endorse America First Patriot, Clay Fuller, who is running to represent the wonderful people of Georgia’s 14th 14th Congressional District,' Trump posted February 4 on Truth Social. 

And yet days later he seemed to favor neutrality. 

'They say whoever I endorse is going to win. But we have a lot of good candidates that want to take her place,' he said Monday. 

The White House did not respond to the Daily Mail's request for comment on if the endorsement was rescinded or if Trump, 79, had misspoke. Instead, a White House official pointed to Trump's original February 4 endorsement and how the president reposted the endorsement this morning. 

 

Greene and Trump shared a close relationship for years until this summer when the two disagreed on how to handle the government's files on late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. After the rift, Trump began referring to MTG as 'Marjorie Traitor Greene'

Congressional hopeful Clay Fuller did not respond to the Daily Mail's request for comment

 

'Trump endorsed one of the candidates 13 days ago. He has no memory of this,' political pundit David Packman posted on X.

Fuller even accepted Trump's endorsement, writing: 'THANK YOU, Mr. President. This is the honor of a lifetime. I will not let you or Georgia's 14th District down.'

Fuller did not respond to the Daily Mail's request for comment on Trump's apparent change of heart.

Greene and Trump shared a close relationship for years until this summer when the two disagreed on how to handle the government's files on late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. 

After the rift, Trump began referring to MTG as 'Marjorie Traitor Greene.' 

The simmering feud culminated in the shock resignation of the firebrand congresswoman who has built a national profile.  

Greene has since lobbed criticism at Trump and the GOP for not supporting female Republicans and has warned that the party will do terribly in the midterm elections this November.  

The president is scheduled to visit Coosa Steel Corporation in Rome, Georgia, on Thursday. 

 

Greene and Trump campaigned extensively together over the years before their rift. Above they are shown at a rally in Rome, Georgia, in March 2024

 

The steel plant sits directly in Georgia's 14th congressional district, where the special election to replace MTG is set for March 10. 

Early voting in the special election began this week and will run through March 6. 

The race already has a crowded field of candidates, with 14 currently in the running. 

Fuller is among the most popular of all the candidates, however, earlier this week the results of a local poll showed ex Georgia state Senator Colton Moore with the most support. 

The straw poll conducted among local voters this week found that 45 percent of voters favor Moore while just 19 percent said they favor Fuller, who got second place.

If none of the candidates garner over 50 percent of the vote on March 10, the top two finishers will compete in a runoff election on April 7. 

MORE PROOF THAT TRANSGENDERISM IS A SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH

Transgender shooter who murdered ex-wife and son at hockey game had Nazi tattoo

 

By Melissa Koenig 

 

Daily Mail

Feb 17, 2026

 

 

Robert Dorgan, 56, who also went by the name 'Roberta Esposito,' had a Nazi-inspired SS tattoo on his right arm

 

The transgender gunman who killed his ex-wife and son at a high school hockey match apparently had a Nazi-inspired tattoo on his arm. 

Robert Dorgan, 56, who also went by the name 'Roberta Esposito,' was seen showing off a large SS symbol on his bicep in a photo posted to his social media pages, where he would often voice his support for 'white power.'

The symbol was frequently used in Nazi Germany propaganda and signage.

In the center of Dorgan's tattoo was a white skull and crossbones with glowing red eyes, known as Totenkopf or the 'death's head' skull, which was used as a symbol of a branch of the SS 'whose purpose was to guard the concentration camps,' according to the Anti-Defamation League. 

The symbol is now often used by neo-Nazis and other white supremacists 'because of its importance to the SS.'

Dorgan also had a history of spreading antisemitic and racist rhetoric on social media, even posting an anti-Asian slur as he replied to a video praising Adolf Hitler just one day before he opened fire at the Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

That same day, Dorgan also threatened to go 'BESERK.'

His son, Aidan Dorgan, 23, was killed alongside his mother Rhonda, 52, and three other family members were left critically injured in the rampage on Monday, which came to an end when the gunman took his own life.

The tragedy occurred just feet from where Rhonda's youngest son Colin Dorgan, 17, was competing on the ice.

 

Dorgan opened fire at the Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island on Monday, killing his son, Aidan, 23 (left) and ex-wife, Rhonda, 52

 

Colin, captain of the Blackstone Valley Schools' hockey team, could be seen skating backwards as shots rang out in the rink. 

The standout defenseman, wearing his No. 17 jersey, abruptly turned his head towards the source of the gunfire before rushing off the ice. 

Just a few hours later, a woman claiming to be Dorgan's daughter claimed he 'has mental health issues.'

'He shot my family, and he's dead now,' she told WCVB. 

'If you have a loved one who you think is sick, trust your gut,' the woman, whose identity could not be confirmed by the Daily Mail, added. 

A motive for the shooting remains unclear, but Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said she believes it was targeted and stemmed from a family dispute.

Rhonda served Dorgan with divorce papers in 2020, according to their case file in Providence/Bristol County Family Court.

She initially cited Dorgan's 'gender reassignment surgery, narcissistic and personality disorder traits' as grounds for divorce, according to court filings obtained by WPRI. 

Those reasons were later crossed out and replaced with 'irreconcilable differences which have caused the immediate breakdown of the marriage'. Their divorce was finalized in 2021.

 

The tragedy occurred just feet from where Rhonda's youngest son Colin Dorgan, 17, (pictured) was competing on the ice 

Shortly after the horror shooting, the daughter of the transgender shooter broke down in tears as she left a police station, telling reporters he was 'very sick'

 

Dorgan also sparred with multiple family members over his gender identity issues, court documents showed.

He told police in early 2020 that he had recently undergone gender reassignment surgery and said his father-in-law wanted him kicked out of their home because of it.

Dorgan claimed to officers with the North Providence Police Department that his father-in-law threatened to 'have him murdered by an Asian street gang if he did not move out of the residence', according to the filings. 

Dorgan, who at the time told police he had been living at the home for seven years, also claimed his father-in-law told him: 'There's no goddam [sic] way a tranny is going to stay in my house,' the documents read. 

The father-in-law was charged with intimidation of witnesses and victims of crimes and obstruction of the judicial system, but prosecutors later dismissed the charges.

Other court records show Dorgan had also accused his mother of assaulting him and acting in a 'violent, threatening or tumultuous manner', leading his mother to be charged with simple assault and battery and disorderly conduct.

The case apparently caused further contention between Dorgan and his father-in-law, with Dorgan telling police his father-in-law, 'told me that if I did not drop the assault charges against my mother, that further retaliation could be expected, and that was another reason to have me killed'. 

The case against Dorgan's mother was also eventually dismissed. 

 

Dorgan's gender identity had been a source of contention in the family, court documents show

It is unclear how close Dorgan was with his children. He posted this photo of himself with Aidan and Colin in July 2023

 

It now remains unclear how close Dorgan was with his children, but footage from inside the ice rink showed him walking slowly through the stands before firing a barrage of around a dozen shots.

He could be seen raising an arm and firing several times into one victim's back, before he was grabbed from behind by a brave witness who tried to detain him as others fled the melee.

Other footage showed how the high school hockey players scrambled to flee from the rink, while those on the sidelines ducked down and sprinted for safety.

Some others on the bench also leapt over the side of the rink and raced to the locker rooms, as spectators were heard crying and screaming in the distance.

'I was on the ice and I thought it was balloons at first - it was like "bop, bop," and I thought it was balloons, but this kept going - and it was actually gunshots,' hockey player Olin Lawrence recounted.

'And after the gunshots, me and my teammates ran right to the locker room and we just bunkered up and we pressed against the door and we tried to stay safe down there.

'But it was very scary, we were very nervous.'

The 'Senior Night' hockey game was between a co-op team made up of Coventry and Johnston kids, playing against another co-op team from St. Raphael, PCD, North Providence, and North Smithfield schools.

The tournament started at 2pm and shots were fired just about half an hour later. 

 

Video shared online showed hockey players racing across the ice to flee the gunshots 

One hockey player described how he and his teammates barricaded themselves in the locker room following the shooting

 

Aidan's grandparents were among those injured in the attack. They are currently in critical condition, fighting for their lives, a GoFundMe page established by Rhonda's stepdaughter Amanda Wallace-Hubbard revealed.

An online fundraiser has now been set up to support Dorgan's remaining children Ava and Colin, with basic living expenses as they continue their education.

It details how Aidan's grandparents were among those injured in the attack on Monday, and are now fighting for their lives in the hospital, as Ava and Colin 'are now facing the future without their parents and older brother.

'The weight of this loss is something no one should ever have to bear, especially at such young ages,' Dorgan's daughter from another relationship, Amanda Wallace-Hubbard, wrote.

'Despite the pain, Ava and Colin are determined to continue their education and build a life that honors the memory of our loved ones.' 

As of Tuesday evening, the crowd funder had already raised over $131,600 for the surviving siblings.

ISRAEL NEEDED TO IMPROVE ITS MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEMS

Israel set to deploy Arrow 4 system, boosting interception capabilities

Israel is expected to begin operational deployment of the Arrow 4 missile defense system in the coming months, a move that could significantly upgrade its ability to counter aerial threats.

 

by Lilach Shoval  

 

Israel Hayom

Feb 17, 2026

 

 

The Arrow 4 missile defense system. 

 

 

Israel is expected to begin operational deployment of the Arrow 4 missile defense system in the coming months, a move that could significantly upgrade its ability to counter aerial threats, CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries Boaz Levy said Tuesday. 

 

Speaking at the Defense Tech conference at Expo Tel Aviv, Levy said the new system would boost Israel's interception success rates and provide advanced capabilities against emerging threats, particularly from Iran.

"Israel Aerospace Industries develops new capabilities every day, and we are working to bring them to operational readiness," Levy said. "The entry of the Arrow 4 system into operational service will increase Israel's interception success."

The Arrow missile defense array is a central pillar of Israel's multilayered air defense network, designed to counter ballistic missile threats. Arrow 4 is set to replace the older Arrow 2 interceptor for within-atmosphere interceptions and complement the more advanced Arrow 3 system, which operates outside the Earth's atmosphere at very high altitudes.

"Israeli technology has proven itself to be among the best in the world. It is well adapted to the missions we face in the Middle East. We are not doing this because we want to, but because we have no other choice," Levy said. "The Israeli public should know that the Defense Ministry, the military and the defense industries are working together to provide the best possible solutions for protecting Israel."

Looking ahead, Levy said the defense sector is increasingly focused on integrating autonomous systems and artificial intelligence into its platforms.

He added that additional surprises could emerge in Israel's next confrontation with its enemies, noting that new capabilities are continually being developed and advanced toward operational use.

FRANCESCA ALBANESE REFLECTS A DEEPER AND LOMG-STANDING HOSTILITY WITHIN THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM TOWARD THE JEWISH STATE

Francesca Albanese and the United Nations’ crisis of credibility

Removing the controversial special rapporteur would not fix the world body—but it would show the institution still has a moral conscience. 

 

By Fiamma Nirenstein

 

JNS

Feb 16, 2026

 

Even after United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese was sanctioned by the Trump administration, senior U.N. officials continue to defend her.

 

The current controversy surrounding U.N. Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese is not merely about one official. It is about the United Nations itself—and whether institutions created after World War II to defend democracy still recognize their purpose.

France and Germany have already signaled that Albanese’s anti-Israel rhetoric has compromised her credibility. Yet the problem does not exist in isolation. It reflects a deeper and long-standing hostility within the international system toward the Jewish state—small, democratic and persistently singled out.

The record speaks clearly. Between 2015 and 2024, the U.N. General Assembly passed 173 resolutions condemning Israel and only 80 against the rest of the world combined. In the Human Rights Council’s first 15 years, 90 condemnations targeted Israel and only 10 Iran. Numbers alone reveal a political obsession, not a human-rights standard.

After the Hamas massacre of Oct. 7, 2023, the pattern intensified. Instead of moral clarity, senior U.N. figures argued the attack “did not occur in a vacuum,” shifting attention toward alleged Israeli guilt.

While victims were still being identified in the kibbutzim, the institution prioritized ceasefire resolutions criticizing Israel. Soon followed accusations of war crimes and genocide—echoed by Albanese in language blending ideology, conspiracy and delegitimization.

Even after U.S. sanctions against Albanese, senior U.N. officials defended her. Yet in parallel, the organization offered diplomatic courtesies to the Iranian regime and elevated Tehran within its committees—at the very moment its leaders openly call for Israel’s destruction.

Dismissing Albanese will not reform the United Nations overnight. But it would be a signal: that international law cannot serve as a weapon against one democracy while excusing terror and authoritarianism.

In a world increasingly fractured, such a gesture matters. It would tell younger generations that international institutions still distinguish between justice and propaganda—and that there remains a horizon beyond the chant, “From the river to the sea.”

The United Nations remains the alma mater of this disgusting antisemitism, not merely anti-Israel bias.

On Feb. 23, U.N. member states will decide whether to renew Albanese’s mandate—effectively endorsing or rejecting her record. The vote is not procedural. It is moral.

A vote against Albanese could signal a moment of crisis, an admission of failure, but it would not amount to reform of a deeply compromised institution.

ROBERT DUVALL DIED ON SUNDAY .... HERE'S A REALLY GREAT SPEECH HE GAVE IN SECONDHAND LIONS

By Trey Rusk

 

Haley Joel Osment (L) and Robert Duvall in Secondhand Lions

 

 

Robert Duvall was one of my favorite actors. The speech he gave a young man in Secondhand Lions is worth posting. These are good words for all men to live by. I believe that Mr. Duvall didn't really have to rehearse it.  

 

"Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good; that honor, courage, and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; and I want you to remember this, that love... true love never dies. You remember that, boy. You remember that. Doesn't matter if it's true or not. You see, a man should believe in those things, because those are the things worth believing in."

 

RIP Robert Duvall. 

HOW MANY AMERICANS OWN AR-15S?

How Mainstream Media Distorts Numbers on Firearm Ownership

 

By Larry Keane 

 

Law Enforcement Today

Feb 16, 2026

 

John Jackson, co-owner of Capitol City Arms Supply, with an AR-15 rifle for sale at his store in Springfield, Ill.

 

Law-abiding citizens in the Commonwealth of Virginia are facing an onslaught of strict gun control proposals now that anti-gun politicians control the governor’s mansion and both chambers of the Assembly. One of those proposals, led by Democrat House of Delegates Rep. Dan Helmer, would ban the manufacture, sale, and possession of Modern Sporting Rifles (MSRs) — or the AR-15-style semiautomatic rifles that have become ubiquitous among law-abiding gun owners.

WHSV 3 News reported on the bill. “If passed, the proposal would prohibit the manufacture, sale, import, purchase, and transfer of many semi-automatic rifles, pistols, and shotguns that meet its newly expanded definition of ‘assault firearms.’ This definition is based on features such as pistol grips, threaded barrels, adjustable stocks, and detachable magazines,” the news channel reported.

Virginia’s not alone. Other anti-gun state legislatures are proposing bans on so-called “assault weapons” too, but as the media continues to cover these bills, are they purposefully low-balling just how extremely popular and commonly owned they’ve become? Simple internet searches seem to show the answer is “yes.”

Behind The Times

If you ran a simple Google search of “how many Americans own AR-15s?”, the results would be woefully lacking. The Google AI tool gives an immediate answer of “approximately 16 million to 24.6 million” Americans who own an AR-15 or similarly styled semiautomatic rifle. Google’s high-end estimate is more than 20 percent off from the most current industry estimates.

The top articles referenced and provided as citations are all far out-of-date. The top article provided, from Georgetown University, is a republish of The Washington Examiner’s Paul Bedard writing about AR-15 popularity — from 2022 — also pegged at 24 million.

The second-highest-placed article  — from Stephen Gutowski’s The Reload — is also from 2022 and puts MSR ownership at 24.4 million.

Next is a Washington Post article from 2023, suggesting there are only “20 million AR-15s in circulation.”

NBC News included the figure 24.4 million as well in 2020 in an article titled, “What makes the AR-15 so beloved and so reviled.”

All these publications could use a refresh on their research if they’re going to cover the popularity of the MSR and state legislation being proposed to ban their possession, use, and sale.

New High Mark

NSSF recently released its “2025 Firearm Production in the United States” report, which includes firearm import and export data as well. The report includes the most recent figures gathered from industry manufacturers that is up-to-date as of 2023 production. The report compiles the most current and accurate information available based on data sourced from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF’s) Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Export Reports (AFMER).

So what’s the current as of 2023 total number on MSRs? It’s a big number – significantly higher than what mainstream media continues to report.

All told, industry data reveal that 32,091,000 Modern Sporting Rifles (MSRs) have been in circulation since 1990. While MSR production slowed down slightly between 2022 and 2023, coming off scorching hot sales during COVID and the early Biden administration, the estimated total amount of MSRs produced since 1990 increased by 4.5 percent, bringing the total to 32 million from 30.7 million.

Media outlets covering firearm related legislative proposals in Virginia, New Mexico and elsewhere need to include the most current figures to give readers a clearer understanding that these lawful rifles are commonly owned and popular for use for a variety of lawful reasons, including recreational target shooting, hunting, varmint control and home defense.

Mark the Highest Court’s Words

When the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its Heller decision in 2008, the Court stated that entire classes of commonly owned firearms cannot be banned from legal sale and possession by law-abiding citizens. In the 5-4 decision, the Court held, “Private citizens have the right under the Second Amendment to possess an ordinary type of weapon and use it for lawful, historically established situations such as self-defense in a home, even when there is no relationship to a local militia.”

“Commonly owned,” “typically possessed,” and “ordinary” are key words here.

MSRs are the most popular selling centerfire rifle in America and are solidly more common than Ford F-150s on the road today (the most popular selling pickup truck in America).

As Virginians listen to Delegate Helmer and his gun control allies attempt to use scare tactics to force through an AR-15 ban to be signed by Virginia’s Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger, they should also remember the words of U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who in a 2024 congressional hearing described MSRs as “one of the most popular semiautomatic weapons in the United States,” and even Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who in her 2024 Cargill dissent described AR-15-style semiautomatic rifles as “commonly available, semiautomatic rifles.”

Shelby Baird Smith, NSSF’s Chief Litigation Counsel, pointed out in a blog that the Supreme Court unanimously affirmed this in the 2025 Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc., et al. v. Estados Unidos Mexicanos decision.

“What is more, the Supreme Court’s ruling likewise handed the industry another subtle win in relation to challenges to hardware bans,” Smith wrote. “The Smith & Wesson decision shows that all nine justices agree with the statement that AR-15s are ‘widely legal and bought by many ordinary citizens’ and are ‘the most popular rifle in the country.’”

32 million is a big, big number. Journalists reporting on gun control proposals in the states or in Washington, D.C., should recognize just how commonly owned these firearms are and that precedent demonstrates entire classes of commonly owned firearms cannot be banned. Truthfully reporting to readers and audiences just how popular they are is critical to ensure Second Amendment rights are not infringed by gun control activists using scare tactics and lies.

 

Originally published in NSSF - Reposted with permission. 

PAXTON IS CAMPAIGNING FOR THE SENATE

Texas AG sues Dallas, says city is ‘insufficiently funding police'

The lawsuit alleges Dallas city officials failed to comply with police funding and staffing requirements. 

 

By Alexis Garcia

 

NBC DFW 

Feb 13, 2026 

 

 

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Dallas city officials for "unlawfully refusing to comply with Proposition U," his office says.

Proposition U required that if the city’s total annual revenue exceeded that of the prior fiscal year, no less than 50% of the excess be appropriated to the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System.

The charter amendment also mandated an increase in starting salaries for Dallas police officers and requires the city to maintain at least 4,000 full-time sworn police officers.

Voters narrowly approved the proposition in November 2024.

The lawsuit names the City of Dallas, City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert and Chief Financial Officer Jack Ireland Jr. as defendants.

It alleges Dallas improperly calculated excess revenue for Fiscal Year 2025-26, citing Ireland's reports of approximately $61 million in excess revenue to the Dallas City Council, based on a calculation that excluded certain categories of revenue.

Projected excess revenue for the fiscal year totals approximately $220 million when calculated under the charter’s definition of revenue, according to the lawsuit. It alleges this calculation resulted in the city falling short of Proposition U requirements.

The lawsuit also alleged Dallas officials failed to comply with the proposition's requirement to hire an independent third-party firm to conduct an annual police compensation survey, citing public information requests.

NBC 5 asked the city of Dallas about the lawsuit and a spokesperson said, "Due to pending litigation, we have no comment at this time."

IS CUBA ABOUT TO CRASH ?

by Bob Walsh

 

 

Airline trips into Cuba have been significantly curtailed recently.  It seems that gas, including aviation fuel, are in very short supply due to the sudden changes in Venezuela.  These shortages seem to have resulted in a tremendous shortage to the people in Cuba as well.  The people who follow such things are now openly speculating that the "people"may have had enough and may be both willing and able to achieve their own internal regime change, probably with help from us.  

It would be nice, but I am not holding my breath.

NOTABLE DEATH ... JESSE JACKSON

By bob Walsh

 

The well-known poverty pimp, race hustler and shake-down artist Jesse Jackson shuffled off to whatever comes next today at the age of 85.  

Frankly Scarlet....

CA VOTER I.D. LAW HEADED FOR THE BALLOT

By Bob Walsh

 

 

 

It seems that the ballot initiative to require identification to vote in CA will make it onto the ballot.  Polling indicates a high degree of probability it will pass.

That being said there are some attempts that MAY be in the works to torpedo it.  The Democrats in the state house (including the daughter of the CA Secretary of State, who is a state senator) are said to be planning some sort of legal challenge to the initiative.  It isn't real clear what that would be as the initiative is written rather cleanly.  

In addition it is also being said that the CA Democrat-Socialist party is planning on putting their own roughly similar but much weaker initiative on the ballot in order to muddy the waters.  

The Democrats are obviously scared shitless that their super-majority may go away if only citizens are allowed to vote.

 

EDITOR'S NOTE: Bob, don't be shocked  if the Democrats retain their super-majority if only citizens are allowed to vote.

 

My understanding is that the Democrats object to voter ID, not because of non-citizens, but because black and Latino citizens often do not have an acceptable ID. 

DESPITE THEIR DENIALS, IT SEEMS OBVIOUS THAT KRISTI NOEM AND COREY LEWANDOWSKI ARE LOVERS

Awkward moment Trump is asked about Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski's 'close personal relationship'

 

By Nikki Schwab 

 

Daily Mail

Feb 16, 2026

 

 

President Donald Trump was asked on board Air Force One Monday night about the 'close personal relationship' between DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski. Here he talks to reporters on the presidential aircraft of February 6

 

President Donald Trump was finally asked Monday night about the 'close personal relationship' between Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and her DHS underling Corey Lewandowski. 

The Daily Mail first broke news of their alleged extramarital affair in September 2023 - a relationship that Noem and Lewandowski continue to deny.

On board Air Force One, a reporter cited news reports - namely, a Wall Street Journal story that said Noem and Lewandowski 'do little to hide their relationship' inside DHS - and asked the president if this was a 'bad look.' 

The journalist also asked the President how long Noem would be on the job leading the department. 

'I don't know about that. I mean, I haven't heard that,' Trump answered. 'I'll find out about it. But I have not heard that.' 

He moved on to a question about whether he would still give his State of the Union address if the government remained partially shut down, instead of answering whether Noem would keep her job. 

There's evidence that Trump is at least aware of the rumors of Noem and Lewandowski's relationship. 

In the Journal's story that was published on Thursday, the president reportedly rejected the plan to have Lewandowski serve officially as Noem's chief of staff due to news reports on the affair.

 

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and adviser Corey Lewandowski are pictured during a visit to Guatemala in June. Lewandowski also accompanied Noem to Columbia last March. The Daily Mail was first to report in 2023 on their alleged romantic relationship despite both partners being married

 

Lewandowski instead is working for DHS as a special government employee. 

Journalist Alex Isenstadt wrote in his 2024 campaign book, Revenge, that Trump was 'aware of the scuttlebutt' surrounding Noem and Lewandowski, which dissuaded him from picking the then South Dakota governor as a running mate.

'Trump referred to Noem as Lewandowski's "girlfriend," and when the subject came up, he would raise an eyebrow mischievously,' Isenstadt wrote in the book, the Daily Mail reported last January, having obtained an early copy.  

'Lewandowski, Trump said, knew how to bat out of his league,' Isenstadt added. 

The author also reported that Trump's aides knew that if Noem was picked, 'her relationship with Lewandowski would become one hell of a distraction.' 

The President's choice was made easier when Noem revealed in her memoir that she had gunned down her dog, Cricket. 

In more recent weeks, Noem has been under fire after DHS officials killed two American citizens amid the surge of immigration raids in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

She's also being blamed for causing chaos inside the department, as she and Lewandowski have gone on a firing spree. 

 

DailyMail spotted Corey Lewandowski sneaking out of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's apartment complex clutching a duffel bag, April 2025

 

In one such incident, recounted in the Journal story, a Coast Guard pilot was initially fired and told to take a commercial flight home after Noem's blanket wasn't moved to a new plane after the secretary was forced to switch aircraft due to a maintenance issue. 

For his part, the Daily Mail reported in December that Lewandowski tried to obtain a federally approved gun, going so far as to make it a litmus test for a top candidate to become ICE director. 

So far, Trump has shown no public willingness to fire either Noem or Lewandowski. 

Lewandowski served as Trump's original 2016 campaign manager but was fired in June after the President wrapped up the Republican primaries. 

Still, like many other figures in Trumpworld, he's stayed in the President's orbit and was briefly rehired during the 2024 campaign, though lead advisers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita stayed in charge.