Stories Speak Volumes: Feb 1-Feb 6
A Round-Up of National and International News
Compiled by
There are so many stories making up the mosaic of national/international news that we can’t cover them all every week. The biggest stories now seem to be: Israel and Iran, the Trump presidency (lawfare and judges), immigration (migrants and illegals), wars, weaponization of government (the deep state) against Trump and conservatives, our nation’s debt, massive inflation, climate change controversy and related expenses of government, industry attempting to address these issues, the Chinese threat, national security, abortion, taxpayer cuts, Ukraine peace, and hatred and violence against Christians. Here are just a few:
‘Christ Or Chaos’: Former Pastor of Invaded Minneapolis Church Has a Message for America
Feb. 1: Western Journal by Michael Austen
Joe Rigney, a pastor who helped to launch Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, warned the nation that the protests at the congregation were a harbinger of a spiritual crisis for America as a whole. Rigney, who now serves as an associate pastor for Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, used to live in the Minneapolis area and was part of the team that planted Cities Church. Earlier in January, the church gained nationwide attention after a left-wing mob — accusing one of the pastors of working for Immigration and Customs Enforcement — disrupted Sunday morning worship.
According to Rigney, who was serving at Cities Church as recently as 2023, the congregation is not even marked by being overtly political. Rigney identified the issue as a cultural rot that can only be fixed with the gospel of Jesus Christ. The two options for America, according to Rigney, are indeed “Christ or chaos.”
Justice Department officials have vowed to charge protesters who disrupted Cities Church services with violations of the FACE Act and federal civil rights laws.
Hundreds of Protesters, Student Walkouts Occupy Downtown San Antonio to Demand Abolishing ICE
Feb. 1: Breitbart by Randy Clark
Several hundred protesters — joined by waves of high school students who walked out of class — converged on San Antonio’s Travis Park Friday for the “National Shutdown” demonstration, unleashing a barrage of attacks on ICE, the Border Patrol, President Trump, Israel, and even the city’s Democrat mayor before marching through the streets near the Alamo.
The protest was attended by hundreds of protestors, some sporting Palestinian keffiyeh scarves, dyed hair, costumes, body piercings, and vulgar signs as they listened to speeches critical of ICE, the Border Patrol, President Trump, Israel, billionaires, and even their own city’s mayor. The crowd of protesters was sharply augmented by hundreds of high school students who walked out of class to join the protest and listened to several speakers condemn ICE.
Boston Mayor Wu Claims ‘Every Single Human’ On Earth Has ‘Legal Right’ To Come to the U.S.
Feb 1: Breitbart by Warner Todd Huston
Democrat Mayor Michelle Wu of Boston, Massachusetts, is going viral for saying that every human on earth has the “legal right” to come to the U.S.A. Wu’s comments have resurfaced and are once again gaining thousands of comments from outraged Americans. In a video clip of an interview from March, Wu is seen saying, “Every single human being has the legal right to come to the United States and seek shelter.”
Federal immigration law states that hopeful immigrants cannot just arrive on America’s shores, but must file for visas or asylum while still in their own country (or otherwise outside the U.S.), then go through applications and interviews before being allowed to come to the United States.
Nicki Minaj Says, ‘Any Christian Who Votes Democrat Again Is a Fool’ After Minnesota Church Riot: ‘The Demons Inside of Them Are So Bothered’
Feb. 2: Breitbart by Warner Todd Huston
Rap legend Nicki Minaj is blasting back at Democrats after the left-wingers at the Grammys tried to make her a target of ridicule on Sunday. She had a particular warning for Christians who might be foolish enough to vote for Democrats in future elections.
In one of her post-Grammys missives on X, Minaj warned Christians that voting for Democrats is entirely un-Christian. “Any Christian who votes Democrat again is a fool. They’re showing people that it’s ok to disrupt a church during worship. This is how they truly feel about you. The veil is lifted. No morals. No integrity. It’s not enough for them to have an opinion, they’ve escalated to physical intrusion of places of worship. The demons inside of them are so bothered. All the time,” she wrote.
Minaj has infuriated the far-left entertainment community after fully embracing President Trump, even proclaiming herself his “number one fan.”
Eyes on California: 18% Of Total US Home Health Care Billing Is Coming Out Of LA County – One Doctor Billed Govt. For $120 Million In One Year!
Feb. 2: Gateway Pundit by Jim Hoft
The Trump Administration and Dr. Mehmut Oz, the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, have turned their attention to Los Angeles County and the massive amount of alleged medical fraud that is being reported from California.
According to FOX News, one LA doctor billed the government $120 million, claiming to oversee 1900 patients… in one year! 18% of the entire country’s home health care billing is coming out of Los Angeles County. Almost 20%. And Los Angeles has almost 2,000 registered hospice agencies. That is more than 36 states combined and thirty-times more than the whole state of Florida and New York.
Dr. Oz: “How is that possible? And take a look at this map, a cluster of 287 hospice providers, in a two-mile radius, some in strip malls, unmarked buildings, even a wrecking yard and vacant lot.”
U.S. Will Cut Tariffs on India to 18% In Trade Deal
Feb. 2: Breitbart by John Carney
The United States and India reached a trade agreement that will immediately lower American tariffs on Indian goods to 18 percent while opening India’s market to U.S. energy and other products, President Donald Trump announced Monday.
Trump said he agreed to reduce the reciprocal tariff rate on India from 25 percent to 18 percent following a phone call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The administration will also drop an additional 25 percent tariff that had been imposed on India over its purchases of Russian oil. The combined reduction brings the total tariff rate on many Indian goods down from 50 percent to 18 percent.
Under the agreement, India committed to reduce its own tariffs and non-tariff barriers against American goods to zero. Modi also agreed to stop purchasing Russian oil and to buy more than $500 billion worth of U.S. energy, technology, agricultural products, and coal.
The agreement offers significant relief to India, which sends nearly one-fifth of its total exports to the United States. Trump’s 50 percent tariff rate had been the highest levied on any major American trading partner and had affected approximately 55 percent of India’s exports to the U.S. market.
Detransitioner Wins Huge Judgment in First ‘Gender Affirmation’ Surgery Malpractice Case
Feb. 2: Red State by Bob Hoge
These are not hard concepts to grasp: 1) It is immoral to perform life-altering optional surgery on someone who isn’t old enough to order a beer, and 2) it’s unethical to pit males against females in competitive sports. As obvious as those concepts are, we’ve seen a truly disturbing number of woke folk and leftist politicians happily flout any sense of decency.
Psychologist Kenneth Einhorn and surgeon Simon Chin just found out that the backlash against extreme gender ideology has arrived, however, and that it’s time to put a stop to some of the insanity we’ve been seeing. They thought it was perfectly fine to conduct a double mastectomy on a female who thought she might be male… when she was 16.
They were wrong — it’s anything but fine. Now it’s time to pay up:
A 22-year-old woman who identified as a boy in her teen years won a $2 million decision in a landmark lawsuit against New York doctors accused of pushing a double mastectomy on her when she was a minor.
Fox Varian had the life-altering surgery when she was just 16-years-old — getting approval from a psychologist and a surgeon — both of whom a jury found liable of medical malpractice on Jan. 30. Varian, now 22 and considered a “detransitioner,” was awarded $1.6 million for past and future pain and suffering, and an additional $400,000 for future medical expenses — in the first detransitioner malpractice lawsuit in the nation to go to trial and win.
Colombian President Petro Meets Trump at White House
Feb. 3: Breitbart by Nick Gilbertson
Colombian President Gustavo Petro met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday after Trump’s repeated demands for Colombia to stop the flow of cocaine into the United States. It is the first time Trump and Petro have met face-to-face.
The U.S. delegation included Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH), who was born in Colombia. The Colombian delegation, headed by Petro, also featured Minister of Foreign Relations Yolanda Villavicencio, Minister of Defense Pedro Arnulfo Sánchez Suárez, and Ambassador to the United States Daniel García-Peña Jaramillo.
The meeting comes after Trump issued stern warnings to Petro regarding Colombian-produced cocaine entering America, especially after the United States captured former Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro in Operation Absolute Resolve on January 3.
House Sends Bill Ending Government Shutdown to Trump’s Desk After 21 Dems Break with Jeffries
Feb. 3: Fox News by Elizabeth Elking, Alex Miller
The House of Representatives passed a federal funding bill aimed at ending the partial government shutdown on Tuesday, which will bring the four-day standoff to a close shortly after the legislation gets to President Donald Trump’s desk.
The funding bill, which passed the House 217-214, is a compromise struck between Senate Democrats and the White House that would fund roughly 97% of the federal government through the end of fiscal 2026.Trump played an integral role in hashing out the new deal and quelling a subsequent rebellion by conservative lawmakers to get it over the finish line. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., signaled he was strongly against the plan, despite his Senate counterpart’s role in putting it together. But 21 Democrats bucked his concerns in the end to vote in favor of it.
US Plastic Surgeons Organization Recommends Delaying Gender-Affirming Surgery Until Patient Is 19
Feb. 3: Just The News by Misty Severi
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons published a position statement Tuesday recommending surgeons delay gender reassignment surgeries until a patient is 19-years-old, which earned praise from the Trump administration.
The release cites a Department of Health and Human Services article last year that highlights a “rapid expansion and implementation of a clinical protocol that lacked sufficient scientific and ethical justification,” when it comes to pediatric gender-affirming care.
The ASPS, which represents more than 11,000 physicians globally, agreed with HHS that there is low certainty in the risk-benefit ratio for gender-related surgical interventions for minors.
Attempted Trump Assassin Ryan Routh Is Sentenced to Life in Prison, Plus Years
Feb. 4: Fox News by Greg Norman Diamond
Ryan Routh was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison plus seven years following his 2024 assassination attempt against then-presidential candidate Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club in Florida.
The sentencing comes after Routh was convicted last September on five federal criminal counts, including attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and multiple firearms offenses.
Routh spoke in court for about 15 minutes on Wednesday, repeating topics that he mentioned during his trial, such as talking about himself as a good person and his alleged work in Ukraine trying to recruit for their army. However, Judge Aileen Cannon eventually stopped Routh and made her sentencing, saying he is an evil person who intended to kill Trump and would have done so if it hadn’t been for a Secret Service agent who disrupted the plot.
Top Democrats Show Demands for Amnesty on ICE Operations Via DHS Budget Battle
Feb. 5: Breitbart by Neil Munro
Top Democrats issued more than 40 demands for amnesty-like curbs on ICE operations late on Wednesday, amid negotiations over the 2026 budget for the Department of Homeland Security. The demands were released by the top two Democrats in Congress, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). The demands add up to an amnesty for tens of millions of illegal migrants because they would entangle ICE officers in bureaucratic handcuffs, Sanctuary City vetoes, deep-pocketed lawsuits, and personal threats to their families.
Democrats want ICE officers to reveal their faces and wear identification tags, even though the Democrats’ street activities have already begun harassing the wives and children of ICE officers. Democrats want to bar ICE arrests without a judge’s warrant, even where judges are nominated by pro-amnesty Democrats, and even when migrants are fugitives hiding from judges’ orders that they be deported.
Democrats say ICE should not be allowed to arrest migrants in a wide variety of “Sensitive Locations,” so creating many expandable mini-sanctuaries in every town and city. Democrats want to block ICE from using ordinary policing skills when identifying illegal migrants by barring officers from considering suspects’ locations, work, foreign language, their accents, or “race and ethnicity.” The policing rule would also ensure that each arrest would be tangled in endless legal claims that officers somehow violated the vague rules when they identified suspects.
Democrats want state and local Democrats to get oversight and veto power over the federal government’s “large-scale operations.” The demand does not define a “large-scale operation.” The document also calls on Trump to fire DHS chief Kristi Noem.
Trump Celebrates Return of Faith at Prayer Breakfast: ‘You Have to Have God’
Feb. 5: Breitbart by Nick Gilbertson
President Donald Trump celebrated the return of faith in the United States at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday morning. Trump delivered his remarks in the Hilton ballroom, emphasizing that a country needs faith to be a “great nation. You have to have religion,” he said. “You have to have it. You have to have faith. You have to have God. Thankfully, as we gather today, there are many signs that religion is coming back, and now it’s no longer signs. It’s just coming back. It’s coming back so strong,” he added. “You have to believe in something. You have to believe that what we’re doing, there’s a reason for it,” he said. “There has to be a reason for it. We’re all working and… we’re behaving. I mean, I behave because I’m afraid not to.”
Trump noted that bible sales and church attendance are rising. “In 2025, more copies of the Holy Bible were sold in the United States than at any time in the last 100 years. How about that?” Trump said “In the last 12 months, young Americans attended church at nearly twice the rate as they did four years ago,” he went on to add.
“This morning, I’m pleased to announce that on May 17, 2026… we’re inviting Americans from all across the country to come together on our National Mall, to pray, to give thanks, and… we’re going to rededicate America as one nation under God,” he said.
Mitch McConnell’s Hospital Stay Is Delaying the SAVE Act
Feb. 5: Daily Caller by Ashley Brasfield
Republican Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell’s hospitalization Monday evening has further stalled the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which has languished in his committee for months.
The 83-year-old former Senate Majority Leader, who chairs the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, was admitted with flu-like symptoms. His office says his “prognosis is positive.”
The SAVE Act would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register for federal elections and amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to mandate states verify citizenship and purge noncitizens from voter rolls.
On Monday, Republican Texas Rep. Brandon Gill and 34 colleagues sent McConnell a letter urging him to schedule a markup and advance the bill to the floor ahead of the 2026 midterms. “83% of Americans want proof of citizenship to vote, yet the Senate has done nothing for 300 days,” Gill wrote on X. “The House did its job. The Senate needs to do theirs.”
Donald Trump Signals Shift on Deportations: Feds Will Enter Sanctuary Cities Only If Mayors “Ask” And “Invited”
Feb. 5: Gateway Pundit by Jim Hoft
President Donald J. Trump signaled a major adjustment to his deportation enforcement strategy during an interview with NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas that aired Wednesday evening, just days after mounting public backlash over ICE operations in Minneapolis and Operation Metro Surge triggered mass protests and two deaths.
The President revealed that moving forward, federal immigration enforcement will largely enter Democrat-run Sanctuary Cities only if the mayors of those crumbling jurisdictions explicitly “ask” for help and “invite” them in.
Over Half of Immigrant Households Are on Welfare, Far Surpassing American Households
Feb 5: Breitbart by John Binder
More than half of immigrant-headed households are on one or more forms of taxpayer-funded welfare, far surpassing the welfare use of native-born American households, newly released analysis from the Center for Immigration Studies revealed.
The figures, based on the Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) in 2024, show that 53 percent of immigrant-headed households — including those headed by naturalized citizens, legal immigrants, and illegal aliens — are on at least one welfare program. Compare that to 37 percent of American-headed households on welfare.
About 61 percent of illegal alien-headed households, alone, receive welfare, including 44 percent on Medicaid, 44 percent on food stamps, 21 percent on cash assistance, and two percent on housing assistance.
Peter Schweizer: We Found 107 Chinese Surrogacy Agencies in California Used by China to Game U.S. Immigration Laws
Feb. 6: Breitbart by Katherine Hamilton
Chinese elites are using birthright citizenship and the unregulated surrogacy industry to secure U.S. citizenship for their children — a massive campaign that could significantly influence upcoming American elections, #1 New York Times bestselling investigative journalist and Breitbart News Senior Contributor Peter Schweizer said during a special Thursday evening Founders Roundtable with the Breitbart Fight Club.
Schweizer extensively detailed the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) birthing schemes in his new book The Invisible Coup: How American Elites and Foreign Powers Use Immigration as a Weapon.
“[The Chinese surrogacy scheme] is the idea that a rich guy in China hires a woman in the United States, a U.S. citizen, to provide sperm, and the woman becomes pregnant. She’s carrying his child. She’s paid $50,000 to $60,000 to carry that child. The child is born. The child is then returned to the father back in China, where again, [the child is] going to be a U.S. citizen — not only born here, but the birth mother is actually a U.S. citizen,” Schweizer described. “So that adds to the citizenship allure. That child will also be raised in China. The Chinese government and Chinese research firms believe that roughly a million Chinese babies have been born in the United States over the last 13 years and are being raised in China. Those are the birthright ones, not the surrogacy ones we have no numbers for.”
Anti-ICE Activists Run Military-Grade Surveillance Operation Against Federal Agents Across 13 Databases
Feb. 6: Gateway Pundit by Jim Hoft
According to an investigation first reported by Fox News Digital, anti-ICE activists across the country are running what amounts to a civilian intelligence-gathering operation targeting U.S. federal law enforcement, using military-grade surveillance techniques, encrypted communications, and a sprawling web of databases that store sensitive information on immigration officers. A leaked Signal group chat has exposed deep ties between Democrat officials, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and radical anti-ICE activists in Minneapolis.
The private messaging group, called “MN ICE Watch,” has allegedly been used to coordinate protests, issue marching orders, and even dox federal ICE agents during the ongoing protests and riots in Minneapolis. Names of the group’s administrators were leaked after the group was infiltrated by conservative independent journalist Cam Higby and posted to X.
One of the admins of the group is Amanda Noelle Koehler, a prominent protest organizer and former campaign strategist for Walz. Koehler, who goes by the code name “HAH” in the chat, is listed as one of the group’s admins. The former Walz staffer has allegedly been actively involved in mobilizing volunteers to track and harass federal agents during “Operation Metro Surge,” the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration violations in the Twin Cities.
The chat also has local politician David Snyder listed as an admin and Minnesota State Senate candidate Anita Smithson as a “dispatcher.”
At least 200 anti-ICE organizations are now operating a coordinated human-intelligence (HUMINT) collection system across the country. That data is funneled into at least 13 databases, operating through 18 regional hubs, mostly in Democrat-controlled states and cities.
Data collected includes:
- License plate numbers
- Geolocation coordinates
- Timestamps
- Uniform descriptions
- Photographs
- Behavioral patterns
- Names, phone numbers, and email addresses of federal agents
Big Tech Loses $1.35 Trillion In Market Value as AI Skepticism Grows
Feb. 6: Breitbart by Lucas Nolan
Leading tech companies experienced a massive selloff over the last several weeks, with more than one trillion dollars erased from their combined market valuations as investors expressed concern over ballooning AI expenditures.
The tech sector faced significant turbulence as six of the industry’s largest companies saw their stock prices decline sharply throughout the week ending Thursday. Microsoft, Nvidia, Oracle, Meta, Amazon, and Google collectively lost $1.35 trillion in market capitalization, according to data compiled by FactSet. The dramatic selloff was triggered by investor anxiety surrounding the enormous capital expenditure commitments these companies have made to AI infrastructure.
The decline followed a series of earnings reports that revealed continued massive spending plans by these technology giants, often referred to as hyperscalers in the industry. Plans announced by Big Tech companies to invest $660 billion into artificial intelligence initiatives this year alone have raised eyebrows across the investment community. This figure exceeds the entire gross domestic product of several nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and Israel.
Watch the Super Bowl’s “All-American Halftime Show”
Feb. 6: Gateway Pundit by Jim Hoft
The “All-American Halftime Show” will stream live and free on X, Rumble, and YouTube!
Additional partner platforms (conservative networks carrying the feed):
- Daily Wire+ (DW+)
- Real America’s Voice
- Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN)
- CHARGE!
- The National News Desk
- NTD.com / New Tang Dynasty
- One America News (OAN)
For the latest links and updates, check the official event site: americanhalftimeshow.com or tpusa.com. Open your preferred platform a bit early to catch the start, as it’s timed to coincide with the Super Bowl halftime. The All-American Halftime Show, hosted by Turning Point USA (TPUSA) as an alternative to the official Super Bowl halftime performance, features the following performers:
- Kid Rock (headliner) – The rock/country crossover artist known for hits like “Picture” and his outspoken conservative views.
- Brantley Gilbert – Country-rock singer with No. 1 hits including “Bottoms Up” and “Dirt Road Anthem.”
- Lee Brice – Country star famous for songs like “Rumor,” “One of Them Girls,” and “I Drive Your Truck” (Grammy-nominated).
- Gabby Barrett – Rising country artist and former American Idol standout, known for her breakout hit “I Hope” and ACM New Female Artist of the Year win.
Mike Hernandez is co-founder of the Citizens Journal–Ventura County’s online news service and writes for CitizensJournal.net and MountainTopMedia.com. He is a former Southern California daily newspaper journalist and religion and news editor, writer of “Prayer Over News Daily” and edits the weekly “Stories Speak Volumes” and other columns. Mr. Hernandez mentors citizen journalists with trainings held every other month (on Saturdays at Shasta Bible College and online) and can be contacted at MikeHernandezMedia.com.