Social-media posts quote a ‘former FBI special agent’ warning that newly released Jeffrey Epstein files will “unleash a Pandora’s Box” of national-security threats and unprecedented geopolitical fallout. (bsky.app) The Justice Department published more than three million pages, roughly 2,000 videos and 180,000 images on January 30, 2026, under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. (cbsnews.com) Critics say the release over-redacted suspected perpetrators while exposing survivors’ identities, prompting congressional hearings and fierce questioning of Attorney General Pam Bondi’s handling. (cbsnews.com) Lawmakers, prosecutors and foreign authorities are now combing the trove, raising fears of diplomatic crises, legal liability and political upheaval if additional incriminating material emerges. (newzscroll.com)
An X post showing U.S. troops served menus of steak, pie, crab legs and lobster sparked viral speculation on February 21, 2026, that the lavish “surf and turf” might signal imminent deployment amid rising U.S.–Iran tensions. Social-media users called it a possible “last meal” while others reposted a short clip of soldiers dining in a DFAC. Journalists traced the footage to earlier posts (February–June 2025) and note such meals commonly mark birthdays or morale boosts, not official pre-deployment rituals. Military and fact-checkers caution there is no verified link between these meals and an imminent combat deployment. Authorities urge public caution. (english.bombaysamachar.com)
UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned in a letter to all 193 member states that the United Nations faces imminent financial collapse unless member states pay dues or reform rules. (washingtonpost.com) The U.N.’s 2026 regular budget is $3.45 billion, yet unpaid assessments and liquidity shortfalls left $1.57 billion overdue at the end of 2025. (apnews.com) The United States is the largest debtor, owing roughly $2.2 billion to the regular budget plus about $1.8 billion for peacekeeping. (washingtonpost.com) Guterres warned cash could be exhausted by July 2026 and criticised a rule forcing the U.N. to return unspent funds it never received immediately. (euronews.com)
Rep. Ilhan Omar and two House members attempted to inspect a local ICE facility in Minneapolis; they say they were allowed in briefly and then told to leave, a move Omar called unlawful obstruction of congressional oversight. (theguardian.com) ICE officials said visits must follow existing notice rules and cited funding sources to justify restricting access. (foxnews.com) Omar said she observed planes departing and was told those flights were transfers to other U.S. facilities, not deportations. (theguardian.com) The visit occurred amid heightened federal enforcement in Minnesota after the deployment of thousands of agents and the fatal shooting of Renee Good, which intensified local protests. (theguardian.com)
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican candidate for California governor, announced he will not task deputies with immigration enforcement, saying “the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office and your deputies have not, are not, and will not engage in any type of immigration enforcement.” He denied reports of ICE raids by local deputies, criticized California’s sanctuary law SB 54, and said he will cooperate with ICE to remove criminals from county jails where legally permitted. Bianco’s comments follow statewide fears of federal immigration sweeps and add heat to his law‑and‑order gubernatorial campaign. The announcement sparked protests and national media attention nationwide. (cbsnews.com)
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican running for California governor, announced in a social-media video that his office will not participate in immigration enforcement. (latimes.com) He said deputies “have not, are not and will not” carry out ICE-style raids and emphasized that immigration enforcement is the federal government’s responsibility amid heightened fears of local sweeps. (cbsnews.com) Bianco pushed back on online reports of raids at schools, businesses and churches and said his agency has worked to build trust with immigrant communities. (latimes.com) The statement comes as debate over California’s sanctuary law and cooperation with ICE intensifies, and he rejected rumors of raids. (latimes.com)
President Donald Trump warned supporters at a campaign event that if Americans “don’t vote Republican,” they “won’t have a country left,” urging turnout and casting Democrats as existential threats to U.S. institutions. The remark, captured in contemporaneous rally transcripts, echoed earlier Trump rhetoric about the country being lost absent strong conservative victories and came amid attacks on the Justice Department and claims of election misconduct. Critics called the language dangerous and alarmist; allies said it was hyperbolic encouragement to mobilize voters. News outlets and full transcripts documented the remarks, prompting debate over rhetoric, election confidence, and democratic norms, sparking concern. (rev.com)
