NEWS - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2026 - NEWS
The Trump administration announced $600 million in funding cuts to HIV prevention programs and healthcare grants. LA Times
VOA VIEW: Trump was left with no choice.
A storm system will move out of Baja California and into the Southwest and Southern Plains starting Friday. New York Post
Iran’s security forces have repeatedly beaten imprisoned Nobel peace laureate Narges Mohammadi and subjected her to “life-threatening mistreatment,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said Wednesday. New York Post
VOA VIEW: The truth is ...
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A passenger aircraft carrying 55 people overran the runway at Somalia’s main airport and ended up in shallow water at a nearby beach on Tuesday during an emergency landing. New York Post
Florida’s housing slowdown has turned into a full-blown fall in Punta Gorda. New York Post
Disclosures in documents released by the Trump administration have roiled the world, leading to resignations and the threat of legal charges far beyond American borders. New York Times
The request, by Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, came a day before federal authorities closed the airspace in El Paso because of what they said was a drone threat. New York Times
VOA VIEW: The real truth is questionable.
President Trump has reshaped the country’s economic policies, but the outlook for the budget remains dire. New York Times
The rare gathering focused on the Western Hemisphere underscored potential implications of the Trump administration’s “Donroe Doctrine.” New York Times
VOA VIEW: Time will tell the bottom line.
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The Trump administration is planning to repeal the 2009 Obama-era Endangerment Finding — which determined that greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles endanger public health and welfare — this week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on Tuesday. OANN
VOA VIEW: The Obama finding was wrong.
President Donald Trump recently made it clear that he will ensure the United States is “fully compensated for everything” before the new U.S.- Canada bridge opens, emphasizing that the U.S. needs to be treated with “fairness and respect” by its northern neighbors. OANN
Harvey Levin, the founder of TMZ, revealed that there has been new “activity” in the Bitcoin account linked to the ransom note sent by the person believed to be responsible for Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance. OANN
Amid intensifying federal scrutiny and a number of high-stakes legal battles, a male student-athlete secured first place in the girls’ triple jump at the 2026 VS Athletics California Winter Championships this past Saturday. OANN
VOA VIEW: This is madness.
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The pro-Palestinian student protesters who swarmed U.S. campuses, erected pro-Gaza encampments and terrorized Jewish students for two years had plenty of support -- from university professors. Washington Times
Mexican cartel drones breached U.S. airspace, the Trump administration said, leading to the sudden closure of airspace over El Paso, Texas, Wednesday morning. Washington Times
When the FBI seized voting records from Fulton County, Georgia, last month it was looking for evidence of "defects" in the vote count from the 2020 election, according to an affidavit unsealed Tuesday that backed up the search warrant. Washington Times
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The House is set to vote Wednesday on the SAVE America Act, which would implement strict new requirements for registering to vote and casting ballots. CBS
VOA VIEW: It has to be done.
The Federal Aviation Administration has halted all flights into and out of El Paso until very late on Feb. 20 for what it calls "special security reasons." CBS
VOA VIEW: There is a big security problem.
Republicans have said new Medicaid work rules are aimed at unemployed young people who should have jobs. Policy researchers say the rules are more likely to disrupt coverage for middle-aged adults. CBS
VOA VIEW: Medicaid will hit middle-aged adults very hard.
New deduction allows taxpayers to deduct up to $10,000 on interest they paid to buy a new American-made vehicle in 2025. CBS
VOA VIEW: Good bitter news.
A neighborhood dog helped authorities in Louisville, Kentucky, find a missing 3-year-old boy last month in a dramatic rescue seen in newly released body camera footage. CBS
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Two NATO Joint Force Commands led by U.S. officers will transition to be European-led in an apparent answer to President Trump's calls for Europe to contribute more to its defense. CBS
VOA VIEW: It looks like it's working.
The House on Tuesday voted against language that would have blocked challenges to Trump's tariffs through the summer. CNBC
VOA VIEW: Good news for Trump.
Total mortgage demand was flat last week, but FHA demand rose, as that product offers bigger savings. CNBC
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Voter ID legislation backed by President Donald Trump and his GOP allies faces an uphill climb in the Senate. CNBC
VOA VIEW: A major mistake.
Moderna said the move is inconsistent with previous feedback from the FDA on the experimental influenza shot, called mRNA-1010. CNBC
The new tranche would bring Amazon's planned constellation to roughly 7,700 satellites. CNBC
Multiple people were reported dead in a shooting inside a Sarasota, Florida gated community. The gunfire prompted a heavy law enforcement response. FOX News
ICE officers allegedly beat an illegal immigrant, causing skull fractures and brain hemorrhages, but DHS claims Alberto Castaneda-Mondragon hit concrete wall escaping. FOX News
VOA VIEW: DHS is telling the truth.
Ohio father of two Andrew Strand found dead in CVS trash compactor after his wife tracked his phone when he didn't return home from a contractor job. FOX News
Undercover cameras captured women performing lap dancing at DD Café in California, which is located close to a high school, according to a report. FOX News
Florida has executed a 64-year-old man for the 1989 murder of a traveling salesman, the state's first execution and the nation's second this year. UPI
The Food and Drug Administration is undertaking a review of the chemical preservative butylated hydroxyanisole to determine if it is safe. UPI
VOA VIEW: Time will tell.
The U.S. is at its worst ranking ever on a global corruption perception list that measures how independent experts and businesspeople see corruption. UPI
VOA VIEW: Liberal determination.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has sanctioned a gold exchange that converts Hezbollah's gold reserves into currency to fund its operations. UPI
Venezuela will not hold elections in the short term, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said, amid growing political tension in the nation. UPI
VOA VIEW: A mistake by Venezuela.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is meeting with President Trump in the Oval Office to discuss issues related to Iran and the Gaza peace process. New York Post
VOA VIEW: Hopefully they will be on the same page.
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At a time of tightening immigration restrictions, the Department of Homeland Security is attempting to make it easier for visa-holding religious workers to serve their U.S. congregations with less disruption. It was Obama Stupidity
DHS announced on Wednesday a regulatory change aimed at reducing visa wait times abroad for the foreign nationals many U.S. religious communities depend on to serve as pastors, priests, nuns, imams and rabbis. These religious workers face a yearslong backlog to obtain legal permanent U.S. residency, but congregations can bring them into the country on temporary visas called R-1.
DHS introduced a fix to one issue affecting clergy that advocates had requested - removing the requirement for R-1 religious workers to leave the U.S. for one year after reaching their five-year visa maximum. That visa time used to be plenty to get a green card, but in 2023 the government made a change in processing that lengthened it so much most had to leave the country. Now, they will still need to depart the U.S. but can apply to re-enter right away.
“We are taking the necessary steps to ensure religious organizations can continue delivering the services that Americans depend on,” the DHS statement said. “Pastors, priests, nuns, and rabbis are essential to the social and moral fabric of this country. We remain committed to finding ways to support and empower these organizations in their critical work.”
The DHS rule loosens an immigration restriction at a time when the Trump administration has tightened many other immigration pathways. The DHS statement emphasized a commitment to protecting religious freedom and minimizing disruptions to faith-based communities.
“It’s a huge deal,” said Lance Conklin, a Maryland immigration attorney who represents evangelical churches with R1 visa holders. “It would potentially allow people not to disrupt the organization by having someone have to leave for a year, because that’s a major imposition now.” The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called it a “truly significant step to support essential religious services in the United States.”
