Top U.S. & World Headlines — February 13, 2026

The Trump administration formally rescinded the EPA's 2009 endangerment finding, which had allowed the agency to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. This action eliminates greenhouse gas emission standards for US cars and trucks and paves the way for heavy industry to reduce air pollution limits.

EPA administrator Lee Zelden announced the deregulation, stating the endangerment finding 'regulated and targeted the American dream' and was 'hereby eliminated, as well as all greenhouse gas emission standards that followed.'

Senators failed to advance a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security through September, leading to a partial government shutdown. Democrats sought limits on ICE and other federal immigration agencies, including bans on facial coverings, requirements for agents to show ID and obtain judicial warrants for private property entry, and stricter use-of-force policies.

The host reported, 'senators failed to advance a bill Thursday that would have funded the Department of Homeland Security through September, setting up a partial government shutdown at midnight tonight.'

The Trump administration's 'Operation Metro Surge' in Minnesota, a week-long immigration crackdown involving 3,000 officers, concluded. The operation faced criticism for agents operating masked in unmarked vehicles, detaining over 4,000 people, deploying tear gas and pepper spray against protesters and bystanders (including children), and two fatal shootings.

Trump's 'borders are' Tom Homan announced the surge operation would conclude. The host detailed, 'The week's long crackdown saw about 3,000 officers... conduct immigration sweeps... often while masked and riding in unmarked vehicles. More than 4,000 people were detained as agents routinely deployed tear gas and pepper spray... Federal agents shot three people in Minnesota, two of them fatally.'

The Internal Revenue Service improperly shared private taxpayer data on thousands of individuals with the Department of Homeland Security as part of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, likely in violation of federal law. This occurred despite a decades-long promise to undocumented immigrants that their personal tax information would be protected.

The Washington Post reported DHS issued an agreement with the Treasury Department to access names and addresses of suspected undocumented individuals. The IRS 'reportedly sent data on 47,000 people... including thousands whose private information was erroneously shared.'

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to facilitate the return of nearly 140 Venezuelan men to the United States from El Salvador's SECT mega prison. These men were secretly flown to El Salvador and accused of being gang members without evidence, denied due process, and expelled under the wartime Alien Enemies Act despite an emergency court order blocking their removal.

Judge James Boseberg directed Trump officials to bring the men back to fight their cases in a US court 'after being denied due process when they were expelled under the wartime Alien Enemies Act.'

New revelations from the Jeffrey Epstein files led to significant fallout for high-profile individuals globally. Katherine Rumler resigned as Goldman Sachs' top lawyer after files showed she advised Epstein on sex crimes charges. Former Norwegian Prime Minister Torbjorn Yakland was charged with gross corruption over ties to Epstein, and Crown Princess Metamurit's eligibility for queen was debated due to her 'extensive warm ties.' DP World CEO Sultan Ahmed Ben Sulam also faced pressure to resign over decades of contact with Epstein, including a memo where Epstein stated, 'I loved the torture video.'

The host detailed Rumler's resignation, Yakland's charges, the debate over Metamurit, and pressure on Ben Sulam, citing specific emails and memos.

A federal judge blocked Defense Secretary Pete Hex's attempt to reduce the retirement rank and pay of Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, a former astronaut and retired US Navy captain. The judge ruled that the Trump administration's effort was an unconstitutional attempt to chill protected speech, as Kelly had publicly called on US service members to disobey unlawful orders.

US District Judge Richard Leon 'blasted the Trump administration's efforts to chill constitutionally protected speech,' writing, 'This court has all it needs to conclude that defendants have trampled on Senator Kelly's First Amendment freedoms.'