Stories Speak Volumes: Feb 22-Feb 27
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:
Jack Hughes, Connor Hellebuyck Lift U.S. To Olympic Hockey Gold
Feb. 22: ESPN by Emily Kaplan
Jack Hughes may have lost some teeth along the way, but his hockey smile is even bigger with a gold medal around his neck. For the first time since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice,” the United States won an Olympic gold medal in men’s hockey as Hughes scored the golden goal in 3-on-3 overtime for a 2-1 win against rival Canada on Sunday.
U.S. goalie Connor Hellebuyck, meanwhile, was sensational, stopping 41 shots to keep the game tied heading into OT. Hughes’ goal, less than two minutes into the extra period, was assisted by Zach Werenski, who wrestled the puck away from Canada’s Nathan MacKinnon and sent a cross-ice feed to an open Hughes. Jack Hughes had at least one front tooth chipped in the third period, when he took a high-sticking penalty from Sam Bennett, which resulted in a four-minute power play for the U.S.
It was a clean sweep for USA Hockey, as the women also defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime for the gold medal on Thursday. The U.S. men had not defeated Canada in a best-on-best competition since the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, before many players on this U.S. roster were born. However, the players said they were inspired by their past. Sunday marked the third time the USA and Canada met in the men’s hockey gold medal game. Canada had won both previous matchups in 2002 and 2010.
As part of Sunday’s celebration, Werenski, Matthew Tkachuk and U.S. captain Auston Matthews skated around the ice with the No. 13 jersey of former U.S. star Johnny Gaudreau, who was killed alongside his brother in 2024 when they were struck by an SUV while riding bicycles. Team USA also brought two of Gaudreau’s kids out on the ice to take a picture with the team following the medal ceremony.
Blizzard Hits New York City and Northeast as Snowfall, Winds Intensify Forcing Millions to Stay Home
Feb. 23: Breitbart by Simon Kent
A large section of the northeastern U.S. was pummeled by huge amounts of snowfall combined with strong winds Monday morning forcing residents to remain stuck at home under road travel bans and blizzard warnings. Tens of millions of Americans from the U.S. capital, Washington, to the northern state of Maine were warned to prepare for up to two feet of snow forecast in some areas – and down it came as warned.
AP reports snow fell at a rate of two to three inches an hour overnight stretching from New York through Massachusetts. Some areas have gotten well over a foot of snow since Sunday, along with wind gusts of over 30 mph and low visibility.
In New York, Long Island MacArthur Airport reported 22.5 inches of snow as of Monday morning. Parts of New York City had accumulations in the mid- to high teens, with Coney Island getting 16 inches. Freehold, New Jersey, had 22 inches. New London, Connecticut, and North Kingstown, Rhode Island, both got 17 inches of snow.
More than 5,000 flights in and out of the United States were canceled for Monday, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. Most were canceled in New York, New Jersey and Boston.
Power outages are likely due to heavy snow and strong wind gusts, forecasters said. Just after 01:39 am local time on Monday, nearly 80,000 customers were without power in the state of New Jersey, according to tracking website poweroutage.us.
Congresswoman Introduces Bill to Defund Explicit Content in Schools
Feb. 24: Daily Signal by Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell
Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., has introduced a bill to prohibit federal dollars from funding sexually explicit content in schools. The “Stop Sexualization of Children Act” would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to prohibit federal funds from promoting inappropriate materials, like books and curriculum featuring sexually explicit conduct or themes of transgenderism and gender dysphoria.
“Parents deserve complete confidence that their tax dollars are being used to promote academic excellence—not to expose children to harmful and explicit material that undermines their innocence,” Miller, who chairs the House Family Caucus, told The Daily Signal. “My legislation draws a clear and enforceable line to ensure our schools remain focused on education, not explicit ideological agendas or radical indoctrination.”
A number of pro-family groups endorse the bill, such as Family Research Council, Independent Women’s Forum, American Principles Project, Eagle Forum, Family Policy Alliance, Parental Rights Foundation, and Moms for America.
Bill co-sponsors include Republican Reps. Troy Downing of Montana; Randy Fine of Florida; Greg Steube of Florida; Paul Gosar of Arizona; Andy Ogles of Tennessee; Harriet Hageman of Wyoming; Marlin Stutzman of Indiana; Barry Moore of Alabama; Sheri Biggs of South Carolina; and Julia Letlow of Louisiana.
UCLA Sued by Trump Administration over Alleged Antisemitism
Feb. 24: The California Post by Zain Kahn
The Department of Justice is suing UCLA over claims of antisemitism at the school. The lawsuit argues that the public university “engaged in a hostile work environment against Jewish and Israeli faculty and staff” and violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
UCLA’s anti-discrimination policy was “poorly designed and maintained, making it difficult for victims to report hostile work environment claims,” according to the 80-page document filed in California’s Central District.
Over 40 Congressional Democrats Skipping Trump’s State of the Union Address
Feb. 24: Gateway Pundit by Cassandra MacDonald
Dozens of petulant Democrat members of Congress have announced they will not attend President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address tonight, with reports indicting as many as 45 confirmed absences. The address marks Trump’s first SOTU in his second term, following his 2024 election victory.
Many of those skipping are participating in alternative events, such as the “People’s State of the Union” rally on the National Mall organized by groups like MoveOn and MeidasTouch, or the “State of the Swamp” gathering at the National Press Club. Others say they plan to watch remotely or “spend time with constituents.”
(Editor’s Note: By the time of the State of The Union Address, over 70 Democrat legislators boycotted the speech.)
The Attempted Sabotage of Trump’s State of the Union That No One Is Talking About
Feb. 25: Gateway Pundit by Grant Sinchfield
When President Trump asked members of Congress to stand if they believe in putting the safety of American citizens first… Democrats stayed seated. Let that sink in.
Border security. Law enforcement. Protecting families from violent crime. And they refused to stand. It wasn’t partisan politics. It was a defining image. One that told the entire country exactly where each party stands.
The contrast could not have been clearer: America First versus America Last.
Larry Summers To Resign from Harvard Post Due To Epstein Connection
Feb. 25: USA Today by Terry Collins
Ex-Treasury Secretary and former Harvard President Larry Summers will resign from teaching at the end of the academic year, a Harvard spokesperson told USA TODAY. The Feb. 25 announcement comes more than three months after the Justice Department revealed the longtime economist’s ties with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Summers is also resigning from his academic and faculty appointments and will remain on leave until the end of the school year. He will not teach or take on new advisees, the university said.
Head of World Economic Forum Resigns Over Epstein Emails
Feb. 26: Breitbart by Oliver JJ Lane
The President and CEO of the World Economic Forum, the convenor of the infamous annual Davos globalism conference, has resigned after Epstein email releases revealed his links to the disgraced financier.
Former Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs and leader of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Børge Brende announced his resignation from the top pro-globalisation group on Thursday, stating that after “careful consideration” he had concluded his remaining at the top was proving a distraction for the work of the group.
The resignation is the latest fallout from the Epstein emails, which has seen Britain’s former royal prince Andrew Mountbaten-Windsor, and its former business minister, European Commissioner, and ambassador to the United States Lord Mandelson arrested. Police in Norway have raided the home of former Prime Minister and Nobel Peace Prize committee chair Thorbjorn Jagland over Epstein concerns.
The Epstein scandal has been considerably slower to find effect in the United States so far. Nevertheless, former President Clinton treasury secretary Larry Summers announced he was resigning his teaching position at Harvard this week and had earlier resigned from OpenAI after being named in earlier tranches of Epstein emails.
Appeals Court: Trump Now Allowed to Oust Public-Sector Unions
Feb. 27: Red State by Ward Clark
A federal appeals court will allow the Trump administration to end collective bargaining rights for thousands of government employees, in a blow for public-sector unions. The Ninth Circuit panel’s decision allows the administration to proceed with an executive order that allows some federal agencies to cut union ties for national security reasons.
Six unions representing about 800,000 federal civilian employees sued the administration last year, alleging violations of the First Amendment. A lower court previously found that President Donald Trump’s order was designed to retaliate against unions. However, the Ninth Circuit panel ended that preliminary injunction. The panel noted that Trump’s executive order, issued in March 2025, was “the largest single effort to date to exclude agencies and subdivisions from collective bargaining on national security grounds.”
American Workers Encouraged to Leave Israel ‘Today’
Feb. 27: The Daily Signal by Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell
As speculation of impending war in Iran circulates, the State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem have told nonessential staff they can leave Israel. Those who wish to leave “should do so Today,” Ambassador Mike Huckabee said in an email to staff first reported by The New York Times.
The embassy’s move “will likely result in high demand for airline seats today,” he said in the email. “Focus on getting a seat to anyplace from which you can then continue travel to DC, but the first priority will be getting expeditiously out of the country.”
The State Department also authorized nonemergency U.S. government personnel and their family members to leave Israel “due to safety risks.” The State Department announced the U.S. Embassy in Israel “may further restrict or prohibit U.S. government employees and their family members from traveling to certain areas of Israel, the Old City of Jerusalem, and the West Bank.”
Shortly before the U.S. carried out airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities last year, Huckabee similarly told American citizens wanting to leave Israel that the embassy was working on evacuation options. Four days later, Operation Midnight Hammer took place on June 22.
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.