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Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the Department of Justice has released all files responsive to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, publishing approximately 3.5 million pages plus thousands of images and videos. Bondi sent a six‑page letter to Congress defending extensive redactions as necessary to protect victims and law‑enforcement interests, and included a compiled list of more than 300 high‑profile names mentioned in the materials. DOJ officials say omissions reflect legal privileges and victim privacy; critics counter the undifferentiated name list conflates casual mentions with wrongdoing, prompting bipartisan outrage, congressional reviews, and demands for clearer context and further investigation now. (justice.gov)

Hillary Clinton said at the Munich Security Conference on February 14, 2026, that more people were deported under her husband Bill Clinton and under Barack Obama than in Donald Trump’s first term or the first year of his second term. She added that those earlier administrations deported people “without killing American citizens and without putting children into detention camps,” and she criticized the Trump administration’s family-separation and detention practices. Speaking to diplomats and policymakers, Clinton called for secure but humane border enforcement and urged attention to facts rather than rhetoric in debates over deportation numbers and immigration policy in public. (foxnews.com)

On February 14, 2026, former U.S. President Barack Obama told journalist Brian Tyler Cohen on the No Lie podcast that “they’re real,” saying extraterrestrials exist though he has not seen them. He dismissed Area 51 conspiracy claims—saying there is no underground facility unless it was hidden from even a president—and joked the first question he’d asked as president was, “Where are the aliens?” The remark, brief and not elaborated, ignited renewed debate amid recent Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena disclosures, leaked military footage and veterans’ testimonies; Obama did not assert direct contact or provide new evidence and called for scientific inquiry immediately. (newsweek.com)

New Yahoo/YouGov polling conducted Feb. 9–12, 2026 finds 42% of Americans say Bad Bunny better represents the United States versus 39% for President Donald Trump, with a 1,704‑respondent sample and ~3% margin of error. The survey, taken immediately after Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime show on Feb. 8, showed independents favoring Bad Bunny 46% to 27% and sharp partisan splits: Democrats overwhelmingly backed Bad Bunny while Republicans favored Trump. Sixty percent approved of Bad Bunny’s closing message. Analysts say the results reflect the halftime spectacle’s cultural impact and cross‑party polarization. Some observers noted it was a single, post‑game snapshot. (yahoo.com)

Sen. Ted Budd (R‑NC) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D‑NY) introduced the U.S.–Israel FUTURES Act (United States‑Israel Framework for Upgraded Technologies, Unified Research, and Enhanced Security Act of 2026), a bicameral effort unveiled Feb. 12–13, 2026. The bill would create a U.S.–Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative to expand and accelerate collaborative research, testing, evaluation and industrial cooperation in emerging technologies — including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, counter‑UAS and missile‑defense systems — using U.S. appropriations. A companion House measure by Reps. Ronny Jackson and Don Davis mirrors the effort, aiming to fast‑track joint investments and operationalize shared technology for American and Israeli forces. (jackson.house.gov)

Secretary Scott Bessent urged Senate Republicans to drop the 60 vote filibuster to pass the SAVE America Act, calling the standoff a “prisoner’s dilemma” and saying when the other side won’t play fair you must “move first.” He warned it is “kill or be killed,” urged selective elimination of the filibuster for priority items like voter integrity and to prevent a government shutdown, and outlined a plan for Republicans to act preemptively rather than wait for Democratic obstruction. The comments, shared widely on social media and in interviews, raise pressure on GOP leaders weighing rule changes to advance the bill. (twstalker.com)

On February 13, 2026, former CNN anchor Don Lemon entered the Warren E. Burger Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in St. Paul, Minnesota, for arraignment and pleaded not guilty to federal civil‑rights charges tied to a January 18 anti‑ICE protest at Cities Church. Prosecutors allege conspiracy to deprive religious freedom and violations of the FACE Act; Lemon says he was acting as a journalist and denounces the indictment as politically motivated and an attack on press freedom. He arrived with his legal team amid supporters chanting outside; his attorneys intend to invoke First Amendment defenses as the case moves. (pbs.org)

Bill Gates congratulated President Trump and VP‑elect JD Vance, posting on X that “America is at its strongest when we use ingenuity and innovation to improve lives… I hope we can work together now to build a brighter future for everyone.” (newsweek.com) The November 7, 2024 message came after Trump’s election victory and signals Gates’s willingness to engage with the incoming administration on innovation, global health and aid. (newsweek.com) Several other technology leaders also extended congratulations. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) The post has prompted discussion about Gates’s past political donations and the role of tech philanthropy in shaping policy during presidential transitions, and public reaction continues today. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)