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In November 2025, Kelly joined other Democrats in a video warning service members of their duty to disobey unlawful commands amid early Trump administration actions. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called it seditious, censured Kelly on January 5, 2026, and sought to demote his retired captain rank, cutting his pension. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon blocked the move on February 12, ruling it violated Kelly's First Amendment rights as a retiree and congressman; Hegseth appealed to the D.C. Circuit on February 24. The clash highlights tensions over military free speech, retiree rights, and Hegseth's reforms amid divided views on legal oversight in the armed forces.

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Senator Mark Kelly, the Navy veteran and astronaut, faces a Pentagon push to slash his retirement pay over a video urging troops to reject illegal orders. A judge stepped in, but the fight continues.

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Host Iain Dale role-played as Putin on LBC Thursday evening, prompting Polanski to stress negotiation amid nuclear risks. Commentators mocked the remarks harshly, with Alex Massie comparing Polanski unfavorably to Jeremy Corbyn and James Cleverly calling them less sophisticated than children's views. While the Green Party backs Ukraine and sanctions, internal motions push to quit NATO, and defenders like Owen Jones cite past Western interventions as reasons for caution. The controversy underscores divides in British politics over Russia, Ukraine, and NATO amid U.S. shifts.

Key Takeaway

During a live radio interview, England's Green Party leader Zack Polanski urged diplomacy with Vladimir Putin, warning of mutual nuclear obliteration if talks fail.

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In a Newsmax interview, Johnson stressed that Republicans need to keep their House majority through the 2026 midterms to give Trump all four years to push economic recovery, tax cuts, mass deportations, tariffs, and spending reductions. He called Democrats' jeers during the speech shameful, shared clips of disruptions like Rep. Al Green's ejection, and urged GOP unity to explain their vision to voters. Democrats fired back with quips like Rep. Ted Lieu's 'Heaven won’t forbid it' and saw it as motivation to flip the chamber for oversight, while some critics noted Republican vulnerabilities from recent debates.

Key Takeaway

Right after Trump's record-long State of the Union, Speaker Mike Johnson laid it out plainly: lose the House in 2026, and the president's plans hit a wall.

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Robinson endorsed Lowe, the independent MP for Great Yarmouth who launched Restore Britain around February 13, 2026, after leaving Reform UK last year. The new party, now with over 90,000 members, pushes mass deportations and remigration, drawing support from figures like Elon Musk and far-right activists. Reform fired back with Zia Yusuf's hardline speech on February 23, pledging a UK Deportation Command for illegal migrants amid ongoing small boat arrivals, though polls show Reform leading at 25% to Restore's 7%. The rift highlights tensions over immigration strategy and risks splitting the right-wing vote.

Key Takeaway

Tommy Robinson didn't hold back on a US podcast, calling Rupert Lowe the only leader who can save Britain while slamming Nigel Farage for selling out on immigration.

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The Lakers fell to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night, their second straight loss, with Dončić posting 22 points, nine rebounds, and 15 assists before owning the late decision. Critics like ESPN's Zach Lowe called his constant referee complaints 'unwatchable,' while Tim MacMahon and Chandler Parsons labeled it a glaring flaw that's exhausting for officials. Leading the league with 13 technical fouls, Dončić draws comparisons to other stars, though some defend him as the league's punching bag since his trade to L.A. a year ago, amid the team's 34-23 record clinging to sixth in the West.

Key Takeaway

Luka Dončić passed up an open 3-pointer in the final seconds, inbounded to LeBron James, and watched the shot rim out in a 110-109 defeat that left the Lakers frustrated.

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France, Germany, and Italy demanded the resignation of Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories. The call followed a viral video clip in which she allegedly called Israel 'the enemy of humanity.'

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The ex-Crystal Palace striker's lineup featured Arsenal's Jurrien Timber at right-back, Ilkhom Khusanov and Gabriel Magalhaes in central defense, plus Eberechi Eze in advanced midfield, alongside picks like Dean Henderson in goal and Viktor Gyokeres up top. Fans questioned Timber's spot after his early exit, with comments like 'How awful were all the other RBs?' and 'Why are these people paid?' Meanwhile, lower leagues celebrated their heroes: QPR's Richard Kone for a late winner, Wrexham's Kieffer Moore in a 5-3 thriller, and Plymouth Argyle landing four spots after a 5-2 rout, including skipper Joe Edwards.

Key Takeaway

Clinton Morrison packed his Premier League Team of the Weekend with Arsenal stars after their strong showing. But naming Jurrien Timber at right-back—despite his halftime hook in a draw with Manchester City—left fans scratching their heads and firing back.

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During a February 24, 2026, House subcommittee hearing, National Endowment for Democracy President Damon Wilson testified that his group provided Starlink terminals to activists in Iran during January's violent unrest, triggered by inflation, water shortages, and hijab laws. Amid a government internet blackout, around 200 terminals helped information flow in and out, building on years of preparation with thousands smuggled since 2022. Rep. Frankel's interruption drew online scrutiny, with critics labeling NED a CIA front while supporters praised its democracy work; death tolls ranged widely from 3,000 to over 17,000.

Key Takeaway

As Damon Wilson detailed secure communications for Iranian activists amid deadly riots, Rep. Lois Frankel cut him off: 'We'd better not talk about it.' The moment underscored the sensitive stakes of U.S. support.

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Team USA's Austin Florian competed in the Men's Skeleton event at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics wearing a Venom-themed helmet. The helmet's design garnered widespread attention and praise online during his race.

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Two 18-year-old Palestinians from Hebron and Beit Omar rammed their vehicle into Israelis at the Gush Etzion junction south of Jerusalem on Tuesday, then stabbed victims, killing 71-year-old Aharon Cohen and wounding a man, a boy, and a woman. Israeli security forces killed both attackers on site. Cohen, a Kiryat Arba resident and father of six, was remembered by neighbors as a kind community pillar during his funeral that evening.

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A vehicle slammed into a crowd at Gush Etzion junction, followed by knives flashing in a deadly ambush that claimed an innocent life.

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Social media users highlighted a paragraph in the South African Ministry of Finance's budget speech that appeared to be generated by AI. The paragraph prompted discussions on sloppy drafting and lack of review by the ministry.

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Euro Pacific Asset Management chief Peter Schiff this week dismissed Bitcoin as a flawed medium of exchange and inferior store of value compared to tokenized gold. He referenced Cathie Wood's revised $1.2 million Bitcoin target for 2030, blaming stablecoins' rise in emerging markets. Amid Bitcoin's 5% year-to-date drop to $90,400, gold has surged 54% while drawing online mockery of Schiff's repeated past predictions.

Key Takeaway

Peter Schiff strikes again: Bitcoin is doomed, he says, as stablecoins steal its transaction role and gold crushes it in value storage.

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Keir Starmer's government agreed in principle to a 700-page Gibraltar pact last year to ease post-Brexit borders, but opponents like Priti Patel call it a cover-up lacking firm sovereignty guarantees and allowing Spanish checks at key sites. They compare it to the 2025 Chagos deal, where sovereignty transferred to Mauritius while leasing back the US-UK Diego Garcia base for 99 years—now criticized by President Trump as a mistake vital for potential Iran strikes. The Foreign Office promises parliamentary scrutiny, while Gibraltar's Chief Minister supports it for economic benefits, highlighting tensions between decolonization and strategic security.

Key Takeaway

Critics are drawing sharp parallels between a new Gibraltar treaty and the Chagos handover, warning that UK sovereignty hangs in the balance amid US pressure.

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On the Mohr Stories podcast on Feb. 24, Dyson accused Lamar of reducing Black identity to Compton origins, comparing the track's 'not like us' hook to divisive rhetoric and noting Drake's Black heritage tied to figures like Aretha Franklin's babysitter. Fans split sharply, with some seeing attacks on Lamar—a dark-skinned Compton native who dominated 2024 with the track, swept 2026 Grammys including for 'Luther,' and headlined Super Bowl LIX—as rooted in colorism and media bias against his success. Others back Dyson, arguing Lamar first weaponized identity by labeling Drake a culture outsider, keeping debates alive on authenticity, skin tone, and hip-hop's cultural lines.

Key Takeaway

Scholar Michael Eric Dyson called out Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us' for drawing lines around Blackness that left out Drake's deep family roots in Memphis and beyond.

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